Greensburg resident Stephanie Haynes was upset to hear Wednesday morning that Kroger will acquire the Pittsburgh-born grocery chain Giant Eagle — her go-to stop for fresh food.
“I don’t deal with change too good, so I’ll probably find somewhere else to go,” Haynes said, standing outside of the Giant Eagle along Route 30 in the Hempfield Square shopping plaza. “I mean, this is my store. I come in here, they cut my steaks down and make sure my meat is wrapped good.
“If I don’t know where (something) is and they see me standing there, they’ll say ‘Ma’am, do you need help?’ I don’t get that type of service … from (anywhere) else but Giant Eagle.”
Cincinnati-based Kroger announced Wednesday morning it will acquire Giant Eagle for $1.65 billion. Giant Eagle — a family-owned business with locations in Western Pennsylvania, northern Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana — will retain its name.
It will operate its supermarket, pharmacy and Market District brands as a division of Kroger, Giant Eagle spokesperson Jannah Drexler said.
A Kroger spokesperson confirmed the company did not intend to change Giant Eagle’s name but declined to answer additional questions Wednesday morning.
Shocking news
Shoppers throughout Western Pennsylvania were shocked to hear of the sale Wednesday and questioned what the change of hands will mean for the grocery stores they visit every week.
Joan Kozub of Leechburg learned about the sale while shopping at the Giant Eagle off Route 356 in Allegheny Township.
“If there is a better selection and it will help bring down the prices, I’m all for it,” she said.
Kathy Myers of New Kensington doesn’t have a strong opinion about Kroger, but she worries the change of ownership will lead to heightened grocery prices.
“I feel like prices are high everywhere,” she said. “I’m not sure it’s going to really make a difference.”
Linda Gelacek of South Buffalo used to shop at Kroger when the national chain had stores in place throughout the region.
“It seemed to be nice back then,” she said. “I hope they maintain the same quality that Giant Eagle has given us.”
Spencer Curtis of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood heard about the sale before heading out on a grocery run at the Market District in the Waterworks shopping complex in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar.
“I’d be nervous if they start buying products from elsewhere — if they’re not products that are bought regionally, locally,” he said. “Maybe they change where they get their products from. That’s obviously not great.”
‘I hope they will keep their employees’
Caddy Hutchinson of Greensburg also formerly frequented Kroger, but she was surprised Giant Eagle would sell to an owner based outside of Pittsburgh.
“I hope they will keep their employees and nobody loses their job,” she said. “They’ve done a good job in this area.”
Alexis Bogusky of Pittsburgh’s Morningside neighborhood texted her family when she heard the news.
“I was surprised,” she said. “I didn’t know why. I didn’t know Giant Eagle was having financial issues or needed to be sold or rebranded.”
As long as Giant Eagle’s butcher’s department and pharmacy stay in place, Greensburg resident William Anders takes no issue with Kroger’s purchase.
“Hopefully they’ll keep the Fuel Perks,” he said.
It will take more than a new owner for Jeannette resident Ed Molinero to break his 25-year habit of shopping at Giant Eagle. But Molinero is doubtful local shoppers will benefit from Kroger’s ownership.
“They don’t have local ties,” he said. “We won’t know until it happens what long term effects (the sale) might have.”
Staff writers Naomi Girson, Abby Lipold, Kaitlyn Hughes and Nathan Ferraro contributed to this story. Quincey Catullo is a TribLive staff writer. She can be reached at qcatullo@triblive.com.