PITTSBURGH – Four Giant Eagle grocery stores in Pennsylvania will start remodeling to incorporate an Ace Hardware in-house. The store-within-a-store concept is set to debut this summer.

“We can confirm that select Giant Eagle locations in the Pittsburgh area will be integrating Ace Hardware stores,” Ace Hardware says in a written statement. “Our experience with store-within-a-store concepts at other retailers, and Giant Eagle’s shared commitment to quality, service and convenience, make them a natural fit for Ace Hardware.”

The initial partnership will take place in the Irwin, Allegheny Towne Center, McIntyre Square and Shaler areas. Ace Hardware already has experience doing this, though. The company already has been part of a joint grocery-hardware store in Ohio for a few years.

Retailer Giant Eagle has more than 400 locations featuring everything from food to fuel and pharmacy services in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Maryland. A 87-year-old company, Giant is facing stiff competition and is already doing well differentiating itself with a robust gas loyalty program. Giant Eagle has yearly sales of $8.9 billion and Ace sees yearly sales above $5 billion. There are also talks of Ace partnering with Kroger for a similar set-up.