You’re standing in the kitchen, staring at a half-empty fridge, wondering how a gallon of milk got so expensive. It’s a common scene. Honestly, grocery shopping lately feels like a high-stakes strategy game where the rules change every Sunday morning. That is exactly why the Giant weekly circular for this week is basically the most important piece of mail you’ll get—or the most important tab you’ll open on your phone. It’s not just a list of prices. It’s a roadmap for surviving inflation.
If you’ve been shopping at Giant Food (the Landover, Maryland-based chain) or even the Giant-Carlisle stores (often branded as Giant or Martin’s), you know the drill. The deals usually flip on Fridays. You wake up, grab your coffee, and start scanning for that "Buy Two, Get Three Free" meat deal that makes the whole trip worth it. But here is the thing: most people just skim the front page. They see the big red numbers and think they’re winning. They’re usually missing the real margin-savers tucked away in the back or buried in the digital coupons.
Making Sense of the Giant Weekly Circular for This Week
Let’s be real. Giant’s circular can be overwhelming. It’s a chaotic explosion of bright yellow "BonusBuy" stickers and tiny fine print. To actually save money, you have to look past the flashy photos of ribeye steaks.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is ignoring the "Limit" rules. You’ll see a price that looks too good to be true—maybe $1.99 for a 12-pack of soda—and you load up your cart. Then you get to the register, and the discount only applies to the first two. Suddenly, you’re paying full price for the rest of the haul. You’ve got to check those tiny numbers next to the price.
Giant is also heavily pushing their "Choice Rewards" program right now. If you aren't using the app while looking at the Giant weekly circular for this week, you are leaving money on the table. A lot of the prices listed in the circular are "Clipped" deals. This means the price only triggers if you’ve manually activated the coupon in your account before you scan your card. It’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s how they track what you buy.
The Meat and Produce Strategy
Meat is almost always the "loss leader" in these flyers. For those who don't know the industry jargon, a loss leader is a product the store sells at a loss just to get you through the doors. Giant does this better than almost anyone in the Mid-Atlantic.
When the Giant weekly circular for this week features split chicken breasts for 99 cents a pound or those massive BOGO deals on pork chops, that’s your cue. You don't just buy what you need for Tuesday's dinner. You buy five pounds, go home, and freeze it. This is called "stockpiling to the cycle." Most grocery items go on their deepest discount once every six to eight weeks. If you buy enough during that one week to last you two months, you never have to pay the "lazy tax" of buying at full price when you run out.
Produce is trickier. The circular will highlight "Seasonal Savings," but you have to be careful with the quality. If berries are $2.00 but they look like they’ve seen better days, the savings disappear when you throw half of them away two days later. Always cross-reference the "Local" labels in the flyer. Giant has been trying to partner more with regional farms in Pennsylvania and Virginia, and those items usually stay fresh longer because they didn't spend a week on a truck from California.
Digital Coupons vs. Paper Circulars
There's a weird tension right now between the old-school paper flyers and the digital experience. Many shoppers still love the tactile feel of the paper Giant weekly circular for this week on their kitchen table. I get it. It’s easier to circle things with a pen.
However, the digital version often contains "hidden" deals that don't make it to the print edition. These are often personalized. If the Giant algorithm knows you buy a lot of Greek yogurt, you might see a "Just For You" offer that your neighbor doesn't get.
Gas Points: The Secret Weapon
We have to talk about the gas points. This is arguably the biggest reason people stay loyal to Giant. For every dollar you spend, you get a point. 100 points equals 10 cents off per gallon at Giant or Shell stations.
But look closely at the Giant weekly circular for this week. Usually, there’s a section—often near the back or the middle—highlighting "3x Gas Points" or "4x Gas Points" on specific brands. Sometimes it's gift cards; sometimes it's household cleaners. If you’re smart, you’ll buy your Amazon or Home Depot gift cards at Giant during a 4x points promotion. If you buy a $100 gift card, you just earned 40 cents off per gallon. On a 20-gallon tank, that’s $8 saved on top of the money you were going to spend anyway. It’s a loophole that most people ignore because it requires an extra step.
Store Brands (Nature's Promise and Bowl & Basket)
Giant has been leaning hard into their private labels. Nature’s Promise is their organic/natural line, and then they have the standard Giant brand. In the Giant weekly circular for this week, you’ll often see these positioned right next to the name-brand equivalent.
✨ Don't miss: Lace Jordan 1 Low: What Most People Get Wrong
Honestly? Most of the time, the Giant brand is coming from the same processing plant as the name brand. If the circular shows the name-brand cereal for $4.50 and the Giant brand for $2.50, and the Giant brand isn't even "on sale," you should still buy the store brand. But—and this is a big but—when the name brand is on a "Super Coupon" in the circular, it can actually end up being cheaper than the generic. That’s why you have to keep the flyer handy.
Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions
People think everything in the circular is a "deal." It isn't. Sometimes, Giant puts items in the flyer at their regular price just to fill space or because a manufacturer paid for the placement. This is "promotional" pricing, not "sale" pricing.
Look for the "Locked In" or "Low Price Guarantee" tags. These usually mean the price will stay that way for a few weeks. If you see a "Weekly Deal" tag, that means the price is likely going back up on Friday.
Another thing: the "10 for $10" trick. You do not actually have to buy ten items to get the $1 price, unless the flyer explicitly says "Must buy 10." Usually, you can buy one for a buck. It’s a psychological trick to get you to move more volume.
Understanding the Regional Differences
It’s important to note that Giant isn't one single entity. Giant-Landover (DC, Maryland, Virginia) and Giant-Carlisle (Pennsylvania, West Virginia) have different circulars. If you are looking at the Giant weekly circular for this week online, make sure you’ve selected your specific "Home Store" by zip code. If you're looking at a flyer for a store in Baltimore but you're shopping in Harrisburg, you're going to be very disappointed at the register. The prices, the gas point rules, and even the brands vary significantly across state lines.
How to Maximize Your Savings Right Now
To truly master the Giant weekly circular for this week, you need a system. It sounds boring, but it takes ten minutes.
- Scan the Front Page First: These are the "doorbusters." Usually, it's a meat, a fruit, and a soda or snack. These are the highest discounts.
- Check the Multi-Buy Specials: Look for things like "Mix and Match." Giant often does deals where if you buy any 4 participating items (like crackers, cheese, and deli meat), you get $5 off instantly.
- The "Dollar Section" is a Trap: Usually, the items in the circular's "Dollar" or "Value" pages are small sizes. You might be paying more per ounce than if you bought the larger size at the regular price. Do the math on your phone’s calculator.
- Stack with Manufacturers: Giant is one of the few remaining major chains that still has a decent coupon policy. If the Giant weekly circular for this week has Tide for $12.99 and you have a $3.00 manufacturer coupon from the Sunday paper or a digital site, you can use both. This is "stacking," and it's how people get $200 worth of groceries for $80.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Trip
Stop going to the store without a plan. It’s the easiest way to overspend. Instead, do this:
Open the Giant weekly circular for this week on your phone or laptop. Use the "Search" function if you’re looking for something specific, like coffee or toilet paper. If it’s not on sale this week, and you have enough to last, wait.
Next, check your "Choice Rewards" gallery in the Giant app. "Offer" items in the circular often require you to hit a "Clip" button. Do it while you're sitting on the couch, not while you're blocking the aisle in the store.
Finally, look at the very back page of the flyer. This is often where they hide the "Household" deals—laundry detergent, paper towels, and pet food. These items have the highest markups in the store, so buying them only when they appear in the circular is the single best way to cut your monthly overhead.
Don't be afraid to ask the cashier if a price doesn't ring up correctly. With the complexity of digital coupons and circular "BonusBuy" tiers, mistakes happen. If the Giant weekly circular for this week said the grapes were $1.49 and they ring up at $2.99, speak up. Most of the time, they’ll honor the flyer price without a second thought. Shopping smart isn't about being cheap; it's about being disciplined in a market that’s designed to make you spend. Let the circular be your guide, but keep your eyes open.