Giant Eagle Becomes ‘Official Food Retailer’ for Regional Events

PITTSBURGH — Giant Eagle Inc., operator of GetGo convenience stores, formed a new marketing partnership with Los Angeles-based NFuse 360 Marketing that will provide the retailer the status of being the “official food retailer” for two major regional events.

This year, Giant Eagle will gain exposure in Ohio and Pennsylvania at both The Big Bite Tour, billed as the largest traveling consumer experience at national food and barbecue festivals, and The Tailgate Tour, which is the largest and longest-running fan experience in college sports.

Noting that Giant Eagle "is one of the greatest, privately owned and family-operated companies in the nation," Jay Freedman, managing partner of NFuse 360 Marketing, said the central goal of the new partnership is "to create a memorable experience for the consumer when we touch them at events. Now, we can enhance that experience with Giant Eagle and provide consumers in the regions real value."

The Big Bite Tour kicks off in April and travels the country through the end of August. Since its start eight years ago, the tour has reached more than 40 million consumers at events.

The Tailgate Tour, meanwhile, is a 14-week traveling mobile tour that visits the largest college football matchups and significant rivalries in the nation, with a focus on providing fans an exciting, interactive pre-game experience. Over the last 17 years, the tour has reached more than 26 million fans at events, and many more across its media partners and social channels.

“Reaching consumers at events has always been our primary objective. With the new partnership, we will now add additional activities at the store level and be in-market for longer periods to connect with the local community," said Freedman. "Driving retail sales at Giant Eagle is our No. 1 goal."

Based in Pittsburgh, Giant Eagle serves more than 5 million customers annually through nearly 400 retail locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.