Giant relaunching grocery pick-up service again

What's old is new again at Giant. The grocery chain offered a Pick Up option for customers at the Westwood Giant in Bethesda way back in 2014. Several parking spaces in the lot out front were designated with signage for Pick Up customers, with phone numbers to alert the store by phone that they were outside and ready for their groceries to be loaded into their car by employees. A large, purple storage case was placed outside the store. Since then, all has been quiet on the Pick Up front, the signs were removed from the special Pick Up parking spaces, and the Pick Up storage container often appeared to be empty. Now there are "signs" that the Ahold-owned grocer is going to make a new promotional push for the service.

A different set of parking spaces outside the Westwood Giant at 5400 Westbard Avenue now have bagged signs. It appeared a curious patron had removed the bag from one of the signs, revealing that they are Pick Up space indicators. The phone number to call when you arrive for pick-up is different from the one on the 2014 signs.

According to Supermarket News, an industry publication, Giant is talking as if the Pick Up service is brand-new. They report the chain intends to roll out Pick Up at all Giant stores in the Mid-Atlantic region by December 31 this year. 

The terms are slightly less-generous than the 2014 launch program. There is now a $2.95 fee and a minimum order of $30 for same-day pickup. In 2014, there was no fee or extra charge, and no minimum order. However, Supermarket News reports that the retailer will offer new users free pickup on their first order of $30 or more, if they enter the promotional code GIANT4 at checkout.

So, look for these signs at your local Giant countywide, as a "sign" that your store now has the Pick Up service. It appears that some Giant stores like Westwood were part of a pilot or test of the Pick Up concept, which is now becoming standard among some of the biggest players in groceries like Walmart and Target.

UPDATE: WESTBARD GIANT READY TO BRING GROCERY PICK-UP SERVICE TO BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Over the weekend, I reported on the early signs that Giant would expand its Pick-up grocery service to its Westbard store in the Westwood Shopping Center. At that point, the large storage boxes were in place, but nothing else. Now reserved parking spaces have been set aside, and signage is in place to advertise the new service.

This will be the first offering of the Pick-up service in Bethesda. But only the Westbard Giant is participating so far; the Bethesda Row and Georgetown Square stores are not listed, as of yet, on the Pick-up website menu. No official media announcement of the expansion has been made, as of press time, despite the physical and cyberspace evidence it is happening.

Several parking spaces have
now been designated for
Pick-up customers directly
in front of the Westbard store

The large purple boxes behind
the pillar are where your
groceries will be stored and
refrigerated for pickup at
the time you designate

WESTBARD GIANT ADDING PICK UP SERVICE IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Massive boxes with sliding doors appeared this week outside the Giant in the Westwood Shopping Center, on Westbard Avenue in Bethesda. It appears that the grocery chain is expanding its Pick-up service regionally. 

Giant has made no official public announcement of the expansion yet; its last press release regarding Pick-up locations was in August 2013.

You may remember that last year, a few Pick-up Points were designated in the county, including one at Chevy Chase Lake that isn't a store, but a unique Giant gas station. After months of posting a banner outside Westbard that strangely suggested your nearest Pick-up Point was at Chevy Chase Lake, "a few miles up the road" (Chevy Chase Lake isn't "up the road" from Westbard Avenue), Giant is now making the service a lot more convenient for west Bethesda residents.

After seeing the boxes Thursday night, I checked the Giant website, and found an expanded list of Pick-up Points that includes the Westbard Giant. However, neither Bethesda Row nor Georgetown Square are currently on the list (I'd bet on them being added in the near future, though). So while there's no press release yet, the Westbard store is available to be selected now.

Here's how the Pick-up service works: 

You go to the Giant website, and select "Pick-up: Get Started." This takes you to Giant's Peapod online shopping website.  Or, download the Peapod app, and you can shop on your smartphone.

Designate your Pick-up Point (in this case, Westbard), and then fill up your cart. Then, select the time of day you want to pick up your groceries. Arrive at the Westbard Giant, and a Giant employee will have your groceries in a refrigerated container (which I'm guessing will be inside these massive boxes out in front of the store), and they will be loaded into your car for you in 5 minutes or less. Then you're off.

There's no fee, no minimum order, or extra charge. Plus, you still get your bonus and gas points.

The only thing that wasn't clear at Westbard: where do you pull up? A Giant video shows designated Pick-up parking spaces, which were not evident Thursday night. I'll check back in the next few days to update you.