Giant Food Launches E-Commerce Marketplace for Non-Grocery Items

Giant Food, the regional grocery chain, announced on Tuesday the launch of Ship2Me, an e-commerce marketplace for non-food items like health and beauty care, home décor, seasonal items, kitchen and dining, outdoor, and pet. The marketplace is now available for customers in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., according to a press release. Items are shipped directly to the customer, there's no order minimum, and ground shipping is free.

"Online grocery demand continues to grow, and we're constantly working to increase our capabilities and offerings to best serve the communities we operate in," said Giant Food President Ira Kress.

Total Retail's Take: Giant expanding to partner with third-party sellers is in line with the substantial growth the grocer has experienced online over the past 12 months, with over 3 million online orders fulfilled. In the coming months, the grocer expects to expand the number of vendors available on the Ship2Me marketplace.

Furthermore, Giant's launch of an online marketplace reflects the growth grocery chains will continue to experience when it comes to e-commerce sales. A recent report by online grocery specialist Mercatus suggests that online grocery sales will surpass 20 percent of the overall U.S. grocery retail market in the next five years. Giant is trying to get ahead of that trend, as well as make itself an online destination for more than just groceries.