The new Giant supermarket at 2303 Bainbridge St. is getting ready to open

Giant Heirloom Market, the first urban format store from Carlisle-based Giant Food Stores LLC, will open at 7 a.m. Jan. 25 at 2303 Bainbridge St., the company announced Thursday.

The 9,500-square-foot store will bring about 60 full- and part-time jobs and will be open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, according to the announcement.

The company first shared its plan for the new store during its 95th anniversary celebration at Dilworth Park in October. At the time, Nicholas Bertram, Giant Food Stores president, said the company’s network of more than 170 locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia was missing out on an opportunity to serve the increasing residential population in downtown Philadelphia.

>>READ MORE: A new kind of Giant is coming to 2303 Bainbridge St.

“We can’t meet our full potential without this new format,” Bertram said in an interview. “I was surprised, whenever we did research, how much customers wanted to be able to prepare their own food. That’s where I saw the opportunity. People want shortcuts and hacks. They are inspired by the chefs in Philly and want to re-create those dishes, and they don’t always have access to the best ingredients, and we’re going to solve that for them.”

This store is part of a trend of grocery retailers trying to reach city residents by increasing their presence in urban mixed-use projects. Giant’s parent, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, tried this strategy before with bfresh, a small-format grocery store for these markets, but ended up dropping it in 2017.

This “Heirloom” store format is smaller than the suburban locations and will include an on-site produce chef, kombucha on tap, the ability for customers to create olive oil and vinegar blends, and a selection of beers and wines, among other products.

If customers can’t find what they need in store, they will be able to order online through an in-store iPad for next-day delivery. There will also be self and mobile checkout, the company wrote in a news release.

"We’re proud to serve our ... neighbors during their culinary quests by offering fresh produce, meat and seafood alongside the Philly products they know and love all in a store designed for them,” said Angel Cordero, the Heirloom store manager. “We’re confident that by providing an authentic shopping experience, our passion for locally sourced products and our customers will shine bright at GIANT Heirloom Market.”

Although Giant has had a store on Grant Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia since 2011, the store on Bainbridge will be its first downtown location. The company has anticipated the opening will create about 60 jobs.

Other grocery sellers opening shops in Center City urban mixed-use developments include Aldi, Mom’s Organic, Sprouts, and Target in a bid to reach residents who previously had no nearby grocery stores.