Giant Landover, HowGood Expand Partnership
Giant Food of Landover, Md., has expanded its partnership with HowGood, an independent research organization, from a pilot at Giant Food stores in the Baltimore-Washington metro area, to all of the chain’s stores, following positive customer feedback on the program. HowGood’s in-store rating system enables shoppers to easily identify authentic brands they can trust, and in turn, support an overall better food system.
Over the past decade, New York-based HowGood has developed the world’s largest database of sustainable food ratings, including an in-store rating system that identifies food industry leaders.
“With so many buzzwords, many more marketing than informative, it’s exceedingly difficult for shoppers to quickly assess labels and packaging to determine whether a product fits their standards,” noted Mark Adamcik, VP of sales and merchandising at Giant Food. “The test pilot was so successful, and we got such amazing feedback from our customers, that the decision to expand the ratings into all of our Giant stores was an easy one.”
The Ahold USA banner will promote the HowGood program through in-store communication that includes signage at store entrances, education at the shelf, trained employees to answer questions, and in-store consumer events to engage shoppers and educate them on the HowGood ratings.
Choosing Sustainable Products
“Our customers appreciate the simplicity of the ‘Good, Great, Best’ rating system, which helps them feel good about what goes into their shopping cart,” added Adamcik. “In fact, nearly 90 percent of shoppers surveyed during the pilot program confirmed that they would be likely to use the rating system to choose sustainable products.”
“Giant has been phenomenal to work with because of their commitment to helping consumers make informed decisions on the food they purchase,” said HowGood CEO Alexander Gillett. “With the store expansion, we continue to get closer to our goal of building a better food system here in the United States.”
According to HowGood, it’s currently only company that rigorously researches the goodness of food products based on multiple metrics, and highlights those ratings for consumers at the point of purchase. Employing a research process that examines factors ranging from ingredient sourcing to labor practices, the organization has rated more than 250,000 products to date.
Part of Zandaam, Netherlands-based retail conglomerate Ahold Delhaize, Giant Food LLC operates 167 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs about 20,000 associates.