Giant Eagle exits discount grocery; closing Good Cents Grocery + More

New York -- These are tough times for discount grocery stores — unless the company happens to be the fast-growing Aldi. Pittsburgh-based supermarket operator Giant Eagle plans to close all eight of its Good Cents Grocery + More stores. The closures are set for March 26.



“While our Good Cents locations initially gained popularity, numerous business and economic factors have made it difficult to continue to successfully deliver the shopping experience customers have come to expect from Good Cents,” Giant Eagle spokesperson Dan Donovan said in a statement. “We greatly appreciate the loyalty and patronage we have received since the stores’ openings.”



The Good Centers banner debuted in 2012, with an emphasis on value prices and lower operating costs in a clean, no frills environment. Giant Eagle’s decision to leave the discount grocery segment follows a similar exit by supermarket powerhouse Delhaize, which only months ago closed its discount format, Bottom Dollar Foods.