Huntington Opens First Giant Eagle In-Store Branches

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Huntington (Nasdaq: HBAN) (www.huntington.com) has opened the first of its Giant Eagle in-store branches, part of an exclusive, 15-year agreement announced in September 2010 to install seven-day-a-week, full-service branches in at least 103 Giant Eagle (www.gianteagle.com) supermarkets.

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"This is a true partnership between two companies that share a strong, long-held commitment to customer service, convenience, and the communities in which we do business," said Mary Navarro, retail and business banking director. "We will add 500 jobs over time in Ohio. This will give Huntington the largest branch network in Ohio, with nearly 500 branches."

Now open are Huntington in-store branches at the following Giant Eagle locations: McCutcheon & Stelzer (2900 Stelzer Road, Columbus, Ohio); Hamilton & Hwy 33 (3841 S. Hamilton Road, Groveport, Ohio); Lancaster Ety Shops Way (1394 Ety Shops Way, Lancaster, Ohio); and Hebron Road (553 Hebron Road, Newark, Ohio).  

All four branches offer a full range of services and are open seven-days-a-week, equaling 75 hours in total, far more than offered by other banks. Huntington's in-store hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The new in-store distribution channel is an important part of Huntington's strategy to give customers added convenience and continue the bank's growth, added Navarro. "Our customers and our communities are at the center of what we do each and every day," she said.

About Huntington

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $53 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1866, Huntington provides a full range of financial services through its affiliated companies, including checking, loans, savings, insurance and investment services. It has more than 600 branches and also offers retail and commercial financial services online at Huntington.com; through its telephone bank; and through its network of over 1,350 ATMs. Huntington's Auto Finance and Dealer Services group offers automobile loans to consumers and commercial loans to automobile dealers within its six-state banking franchise area, as well as selected New England states.  

About Giant Eagle

Giant Eagle Inc., ranked 40 on Forbes magazine's largest private corporations list and recipient of Grocery Headquarters' 2007 Retailer of the Year Award and the EPA's ENERGY STAR Retail Partner of the Year Award, is one of the nation's largest food retailers and food distributors with approximately $8.6 billion in annual sales. Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle, Inc. has grown to be the number one supermarket retailer in the region with 170 corporate and 58 independently owned and operated supermarkets in addition to 158 fuel and convenience stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, north central West Virginia and Maryland.

SOURCE Huntington Bancshares Incorporated