Giant Food Stores

Giant Food Stores traces back to 1923, when David Javitch opened a small butcher shop called Carlisle Meat Market in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In 1937, Javitch expanded the concept with a new store in Lewistown offering both dry goods and perishables under one roof — a new idea at the time — which he named the Giant Food Shopping Center. The chain grew steadily through the mid-20th century and was purchased by Dutch-Belgian wholesale conglomerate Ahold Delhaize in 1981, prompting much more rapid growth. Today, officially rebranded as The Giant Company since 2020, it operates 193 stores across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, with stores in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia operating under the Martin's Foods banner. It remains headquartered in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.