Giant Eagle

Sorry, I am not a fan of Giant Eagle as I like the deals at Kroger, Aldi, and Meijer better. I also feel like this one is dingier than some of the other GE around. It does not have a very open feel and always seems dark to me. The check-​out area is small and slow as well.

I signed up for a Unilocal account just to give this store a negative review. It’s absolutely stunning how poorly this store is run. Hands down the worst Giant Eagle location possible. I’m not sure if it’s laziness or just inept management, but man, there is not one positive thing to say about this store. The employees aren’t even pleasant.
Things I’ve experienced here:
1. I had to pull down a sign advertising a produce sale that had ended SIX DAYS PRIOR.
2. In March of 2015, a 6 pack of beer in the walk in cooler whose enjoy by date was July 2014. (They can’t even be bothered to rotate their beer stock. There was fresher beer in front of this six pack…)
3. Countless times when milk on the shelves was on or past it’s sell by/​expiration date. (This is completely inexcusable)
4. Dozens of times a price has rung up completely differently from what the product was marked on the shelves.
5. Forget even trying to use the meat/​seafood counter after around 6 pm. They can’t even be bothered to staff it.
I’m dumb for continuing to go here, but it’s convenient. Convenience is probalby the only reason this location is still open. They decreased their hours a few months ago… huge shock. Do not go here. Seriously. Don’t waste your time. These people don’t care and give everyone in the industry a bad name. Joke of an experience.

This is without question the WORST Giant Eagle store that is in the area! Just for an example of how horrible the store is run; I went into the store to buy tortillas, a fairly easy purchase and wow was I shocked! I was attempting to find a package of tortillas within a decent date and not only could I not find one I did find tortillas with expiration dates back to August 2014 still on the shelf! Really Giant Eagle?! The produce is often moldy and very old. The staff is not at all nice with the exception of one cashier by the name of Steve… he’s great! My husband and myself have had to complain several times to the store management about the staff and products throughout the store and apparently it has fallen on deaf ears. The store remains a horrible mess and it’s a shame as I live so close and the only other Giant Eagle that I would shop at is either Britton Parkway or Upper Arlington and they are just not close so Kroger… I guess you got my business back. Too bad because I really prefer Giant Eagle.

My last visit seemed like they cost too much. I think their best compliment is the bakery, deli, meat and candy selection.

Horrible experience. I never shop there except when I need specialty items. Today I went in to place a $ 200 seafood order. Everything went well until I decided to buy a few items and check out real quick. Well that’s when the fiasco started. Waited 6 mins for someone to tell me I needed a giant eagle card, then I had to wait for 3 mins for someone to acknowledge the cashier needed to hit «credit» on my machine. Asked for a manager and he never came. Overall waited 10mins and didn’t even check out. Worst service ever at this place. They can keep the seafood order, I will pay more for better service.

I’ll keep the review short.
I lead a very busy lifestyle and really only perform life operations during off hours.
Giant Eagle’s ²⁴⁄₇ grocery store affords me the opportunity to get groceries really late at night. The gas perks are a definite help too given the prices.
Plus, it’s not Wal-​Mart.

When I first moved to Columbus, I really only knew four grocery stores in the immediate area: Big Bear and Kroger over on Broad, and Meijer and Giant Eagle on Rome-​Hilliard.
Big Bear closed, leaving a gaping hole for a new Giant Eagle to move into, the Kroger — surprisingly — moved further down the street into a slightly more affluent (and less scary) part of town, but the Meijer and Giant Eagle on Hilliard Rome have remained much the same over the years.
One of the things that struck me about this Giant Eagle was its upscale look — and prices. But let’s stick with the look for now: unique entryway with large windows letting in a lot of light, friendly police officer guarding the door, and newer (less damaged) carts. You take your cart over the various floor surfaces, including stone tiles that cause your cart to jitter and shake, and walk through the produce area. This location is tops for presentation, and it’s clear they spend a lot of time keeping things attractive; removing bad apples (literally and figuratively) seems to be a regular chore. Walk around the rest of the store and you’ll see the same thing: relatively clean. When it first opened, it was so new, hip and innovative; target demographic was clearly different from Meijer, and the prices reflected that.
Another thing I notice about this location is its above-​average selection of specialty items along with the standard fare. When you’re looking for something, and you can’t find it at Meijer, there’s a decent chance Giant Eagle will have it. Why do I mention Meijer first? When I fill my cart at Meijer, I always feel surprised at how much less I pay in the end; and Meijer doesn’t even have a «reward card» system. My gut feeling is that Giant Eagle has to inflate the prices across the board so they can afford to give sale, coupon and rewards discounts. It’s not my gut feeling that the prices are inflated, mind you, they are what they are (higher). Without the (albeit free) rewards card, you receive no discounts, coupons at the register, or fuelperks. Without the rewards card, you’re also opting-​out of having each of the items you purchase added to a database (aggregated or not, they know what you buy), which is a bit scary when you think about it. But I digress: prices are higher without the card, slightly lower with the card, but overall still higher than average.
The trick? Shop at the cheaper stores first, compare prices, check for specials and compare unit prices. Stores sometimes fiddle with the size/​count so the prices seem to be the same, but they really aren’t at the bottom-​line. I regularly use my calculator to check the unit price, and I also keep track of purchases on my iPhone. So many games at Giant Eagle, which you can avoid by shopping at, say, Meijer or Trader Joe’s. To be fair, Kroger (who actually owns the technology behind the databases used at Giant Eagle) also plays similar games, but I find their prices to be overall cheaper, even without the card-​related discounts.
So, generally higher prices, even with the card, but someone has to pay for the discounts on fuel («fuelperks») and percentage discounts on grocery orders I rarely end up using to any great effect («foodperks»). When bananas are looking super-​green over at Meijer, I stop at Giant Eagle, buy a few additional items still on my list, and I’m offered a 2% discount on my order («You save $ 0.25!») or something. I try to save the discounts for future shopping orders, but they expire quickly, so I’m perpetually at 1−2%, and my orders are so small, the discounts are miniscule. I say lower the prices, get rid of the fuelperks and foodperks gimmicks, and simply give everyone decent prices on everything. Heck, at Kroger, I automatically get $ 0.03 off per gas without even having any «perks» on my Kroger card. Why doesn’t Giant Eagle do this?
Also, don’t get me started about double-​pumping at the gas pumps… One year, I had accumulated enough fuelperks to get free gas — I was elated. This was back when I was shopping mainly at Giant Eagle, before I decided to watch what I spend. Anyway… free gas, brought both cars, wanted to fill them up and boom, pump is disabled. Most places have a double-​pump policy, which I’ll never understand, but someone with a 30-​gallon SUV tank SUV can get the full 30 gallons of gas, while my fuel-​efficient vehicle with a 10 gallon tank loses out on the other 20 gallons. It’s a rip-​off, and it’s annoying. If I bring a bunch of stinky gas cans with me in my trunk, I can fill them up with discounted/​free gas, and hope my car doesn’t explode as I drive along or park in the sun. Whatever.
What they need to do is overhaul the fuelperks program to be similar to Kroger’s: you earn a certain amount and it remembers how much you’ve used. Not a rip-​off.
To summarize: clean place to shop, perks program could use serious tweaking, prices are a bit inflated. Certainly not my «go to» place on a budget.

GE is not my first preference in grocery shopping, but this store off of Rome Hilliard Rd is a great location and easy to find. I normally do not go to GE unless I am looking for something in particular or if they have certain items on sale at a good price. To me the prices seem to be too high for their groceries.

I go here often at lunch time to get a salad from their salad bar. While Salad bars seemed to die after the 80s, you can still find a few at grocery stores. I appreciate that GE keeps this one stocked with fresh items and they keep it very clean during the day. The amount of items they offer is very good. They also have plenty of Pepsi Max or Coke Zero cold and nearby. Add in the self serve registers that have salad bar on the top menu, I can get a salad and be back at my desk in 15 minutes, a real time saver.
I originally wrote this in 2011. I stopped coming here in 2014 because the salad bar had gone downhill a lot! Today on a whim (almost a year later) I stopped in and found the place to be back in top shape with some new items.

Ah, Giant Eagle. Lately a giant steaming pile of crap. It used to be our favorite supermarket.
For a long time we didn’t shop here because the prices are higher. Then we went in again and realized how much nicer a place it is so we started going there exclusively. It’s a nice décor, they have a food court with their foods to go, the best salad bar I’ve seen in a supermarket, a wine room (not that I can afford to buy wine mind you), the big media center in the middle, the daycare center on premises, they cash checks for me, the olive bar. It’s a supermarket unlike any I ever went to where I grew up in Connecticut.
The best part is the fuel perks. To get a discount on gas, you have to spend way less than you do at the other places with fuel perks. So do your shopping here regularly and you’ll get gas cheaper than you could ever dream of anywhere else. We’ve gotten full tanks of gas in our big ugly beast of a gas pig for just a few dollars. That’s a godsend when you’re as broke as we are and it puts Kroger’s fuel perks program to a crying shame.
But there are a few problems with Giant Eagle lately. First of all, some history.
A couple years ago, my girlfriend sent in a comment card complimenting them. She said she liked the place. The store manager then sent us a letter asking us politely what we were complaining about and said we should contact him to rectify the problem. Idiot.
Then a year or two after that, I saw a creepy looking grocery manager abusing one of his coworkers. He was bald but had a pony tail, and looked like the kind of guy that, well you would feel safer letting your kids near Michael Jackson than this guy. He got a cup of coffee and when no coffee came out of the dispenser, he threw the cup at the employee and yelled «there’s no f*ing coffee!» This in front of several customers. I sent in a comment card and did get a call from a manager about it. Funny thing is, it turned out there WAS coffee in there, he’s just an idiot and didn’t know how to work it.
So on to the problems that directly affect me.
Produce is the biggest problem. When you see produce on sale, it’s usually moldy. We have seen this time and time again. Moldy blueberries, moldy strawberries, moldy blackberries. All reduced price. Gee thanks. Lots of the produce we bought at full price we found was old and spoiling when we got it home too. We got lettuce that had some kind of white slimy stuff in it.
Then that great salad bar. Just make sure you’re there on the right day. Last time we were there, everything had been sitting out for at least a day. All the vegetables were going bad, the salads had a crust. We asked for fresh lettuce at least and the girl just dumped the fresh lettuce on top of the brown wilted lettuce and mixed it all together!
Then there’s the old woman in foods to go that can’t hear anything you say and just keeps going, «hah?! hah?!» and when she finally hears you, she’s confused.
The bread you buy in the bake shop always has an expiration date of the next day, sometimes the same day. Cookies aren’t guaranteed to be fully cooked but sometimes you get lucky and they’re burnt.
The pharmacy always closes 15 minutes or more before the advertised closing time and if you call in a half hour before closing, they won’t answer.
The media center is gone now and the books are hidden away by the beer. I guess in case you want to read at your next party it’s right there.
I will say this though. There’s a guy in prepared foods named Glen who’s a nice guy and knows his stuff. He’s very friendly and offers help and samples, doesn’t wait to be asked. Trouble is, he’s the only one.
The day care center is brilliant and my son loves going there as much as any playground. All stores should have one. It’s almost enough to make me go there no matter how crappy the store is. The gray haired lady that runs it is kind of snotty though and their policies are asinine, (two hour limit and even though you saw me drop the kid off with his mommy, I can’t pick him up). Though she is always nice to the kids and my son seems to like her.
So all in all, Giant Eagle used to be great, although overpriced. Now it’s trashy, staffed by rude idiots, and the high prices no longer match the quality.
Now that Kroger has been remodeled and is finally respectable, plus they have a convenience store style snack bar that is unnecessary but cool, and Meijer has better produce and sale prices, Giant Steaming Pile of Crap better clean up their act.

I frequent G.E. often, mainly due to my lady who always seems to remember something she needs the second she gets home and wants me to go get. Luckily it is just a stones throw away.
What do I say that hasn’t already been said? I have had no «beef» with the butcher (pun intended) like dan. I do agree with Sarah though, not enough produce.
I love the full perks, fun fact. I have saved over 750 bones in gas in one year! Thats freakin awesome!

For shame — I guess the competent employees leave the store by 5.
I saw at least 6 packages of strawberries with moldy berries — does anyone check those on a daily basis — this wasn’t like an hour’s growth — more like 24 to 36 hours growth.
Hmmmm I never knew that asking for 3 pounds of ground sirloin wrapped in 1 # packages would be such a burdern for the «full service butcher» at the GE «full service» meat counter at 7:00p.m. I think someone needs career counseling… Like the butcher shop doesn;t close until 9:00!!! Were you just planning not to sell any more chopped sirloin this evening?
Next thing — milk that expires in 3 days — why is it full price? Eggs that expire next week — once again — ever hear of clearance/​fire sale?
…and where the hell is the Nellie and Joe’s Key West Key Lime Juice? I can run next dor to the crappy WalMart Super Center and find it… WTH!!! I thought you were «the» upscale super market choice of Columbus — in my house hold you’ve lost that title to Kroger Marketplace, followed by Meijer, WalMart Super Center, Marc’s and then maybe I’d consider Giant Eagle.
Maybe you should have stayed that quaint middle market «Big Bear» like grocery you used to be back in the 80’s and 90’s?
I gave you an extra star bexause you looked up my GE Advantage Card Number since I left my key fob in the car… but WOW — what an UNPLEASANT experience tonight.

Maybe I got spoiled with the awesome Giant Eagle over on Bethel Road, but I think this place has NO selection for fresh food. They have the smallest fruit section I’ve ever seen. Even the flower selection was terrible. I haven’t tried the Kroger around here, but at this rate I might be taking longer trips to find a decent grocery store.

Giant Eagle has fresh produce and dairy and a very wide selection of goods. They have a fully-​stocked walk-​in beer cooler and butchers who will cut your meats to order. Often when you can’t find a particular ingredient or brand you can find it at Giant Eagle. The store is always clean, bright, well-​stocked.
But let’s be honest, groceries are groceries and when you’re feeding a family in the climate of 2010 you also want good prices. Giant Eagle’s prices are higher than Kroger’s, and much higher than Aldi’s. I shop less often at Giant Eagle because of this.
The only exception to this is when they are running a FuelPerks promotion or when gasoline prices are high. FuelPerks is the most awesome gasonline-​grocery cross-​promotion ever, and if you plan your purchases wisely you can get gasoline for almost free. So when gas prices are high, buy your groceries here. Otherwise, try Kroger or Aldi if you’ve got mouths to feed.

My girlfriend and I go to Giant Eagle once a week or so, or whenever we need something that Giant Eagle has so we can add to our Fuel Perks. The inside is always clean, and most of the time there’s an officer walking around in the front by the registers. I’ve noticed that many of the carts are pretty banged up, but we usually have no problem finding one that rolls well. The antibacterial wipes in the front are wonderful, and we use them every time we go.
Their stock of perishable goods is always fresh. I can’t think of a time when we came across something wilting or in its latter days. We’ve used their dry-​cleaning service once, and it was good, although a little expensive maybe, but when we got our clothes back, we had a page of coupons with substantial savings for our next dry-​cleaning services.
Like other grocery stores, many of the employees are quite young, which isn’t a problem, although sometimes we get a cashier who takes a long time to scan because they’re socializing with co-​workers. When it’s late, most people want to pay and leave quickly.
Giant Eagle’s Fuel Perks are good and bad. I like that they usually have double rewards, but the 30-​gallon limit is frustrating. You cannot take two cars to a pump and fill both of them. You have to fill up your car and put the rest in gas cans. I’m not hauling three or four gas cans in my car. Because of this rule, my girlfriend and I chose to get our own Giant Eagle cards.
I wish Giant Eagle would sell more common, non-​food items. I don’t like going to Wal-​Mart, but we can’t get everything at Giant Eagle and Target.