Giant Food Stores Advertising collection, 1951-2001

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Summary

Creator:
Giant Food Inc.
Abstract:
Giant Foods, established in 1936, is one of the oldest enduring chains of supermarkets in the U.S., and primarily serves the Washington, D.C. area and surrounding states. The Giant Food Stores Advertising Collection spans the years 1951 through 2001 and includes bound, unbound, and microfilmed volumes of reductions of newspaper advertisements and circulars; oversize posters and banner advertisements; Supermarket News issues from the 1990s; advertising scrapbooks from the 1970s and 1980s; and a set of videotapes of broadcast commercials, that document daily local advertising for a major regional supermarket chain.
Extent:
87.2 Linear Feet
Language:
English
Collection ID:
RL.00447

Background

Scope and content:

The Giant Food Stores Advertising Collection spans the years 1951 through 2001 and includes bound, unbound, and microfilmed volumes of reductions of newspaper advertisements and circulars, along with a set of videotapes of broadcast commercials, that document daily local advertising for a major regional supermarket chain.

The collection is arranged by format into eight series: Adbank Commercials; Advertising File; Bound Advertisements; Food World Information Services (FWIS); Microfilm; Scrapbooks; Oversize Advertisements; and Printed Materials. The Adbank Commercials Series consists of videotaped commercials for Giant Foods, and some of its competitors, as compiled by the Adbank research firm. The Advertising File Series includes unbound reductions of Giant newspapers. The Bound Advertisements Series consists of bound volumes of reductions of newspaper advertisements and circulars, arranged by city. The Food World Information Services (FWIS) Series includes reductions of newspaper advertisements arranged by city, as compiled by FWIS. The Microfilm Series contains newspaper advertising archived on microfilm, arranged by city and newspaper title. The Scrapbook Series includes eight scrapbooks with fullpage newspaper advertisements, dating from 1970-1982. The Oversize Advertisements Series include posterboards and banners displayed in storefront windows. The Printed Materials Series includes an incomplete run of Supermarket News, a weekly trade magazine, dating from 1994-1998.

Biographical / historical:

N.M. Cohen and Samuel Lehrman opened the first Giant store in Washington, D.C. in 1936. The store's operating philosophy sought to achieve a price advantage over competitors through a high-volume, self-service operation. As the company expanded, Giant integrated vertically through house-branded products and chain-owned meat packing plants. The company was an early adopter of many of the features now common among contemporary supermarkets, including: automated entrances; shopping carts; computerized inventory control and customer data; and checkout scanners. It was among the first grocery chains to include service centers, such as pharmacies, florists and bakeries, within their stores. Giant eventually expanded into Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. The chain was purchased by the Dutch company Royal Ahold in 1998, but supermarkets and internet commerce still operate under the Giant name.

Acquisition information:
The Giant Food Stores Advertising Collection was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift from the Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation, and the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington, in 2006 and 2010.
Processing information:

Processed by Richard Collier and Ali Poffinberger, September 2006

Encoded by Richard Collier

Completed November 2006

Updated with Acc. 2010-0161 by Meghan Lyon, August 2010

Accessions 2006-0079 and 2010-0161 are described in this finding aid.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is restricted.

Original audiovisual materials are closed to patron use. Technical Services staff need to produce use copies before contents can be accessed.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. There may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Giant Food Stores Advertising Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.