Ross Giant Eagle Getting An Ace Hardware Section

ROSS TOWNSHIP, PA - Not many supermarkets sell paint just a few aisles from produce. Giant Eagle is about to become one of them.

The chain’s McIntyre Square location is one of four that soon will have Ace Hardware stores within the grocery. Giant Eagles in Shaler, Irwin and Allegheny Township also will have Ace Hardware section.

“It is imperative that we at Giant Eagle continue to innovate both within and outside of our supermarkets to succeed in our increasingly competitive food retail environment,” Giant Eagle spokesman Dick Roberts said in a statement. “Ace's experience with store-within-a-store concepts at other retailers and shared commitment to quality, service, and convenience make them a natural fit for Giant Eagle.”

Renovations will begin shortly to the Giant Eagles and the first hardware stores could be open by summer.

“Ace stores come in all sizes and shapes based on the needs of each individual neighborhood,” a statement on the company’s website said. “We have small, urban stores, large rural stores and everything in between.”

Ace has 5,024 stores worldwide, with 4,924 independently owned and operated.

Founded in 1931, the Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle is one of the 40 largest privately-held and family-operated companies in the country. The chain serves more than five million customers annually in nearly 400 retail locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.

Photo: Getty Images.