Sydney Fox
From initial disbelief to passionate demands for Giant to do better, here are five ways customers responded to the truth about battery cages.
On a brisk Philadelphia morning, shoppers heading into the Giant Food Store on South Broad Street encountered an unusual sight.
Outside the storefront, fourteen protesters held signs while animal advocates shared footage of battery cage conditions with passing customers. The demonstration, organized by International Council For Animal Welfare (ICAW) and supported by The Humane League, aimed to hold Giant accountable for its 2025 cage-free egg commitment—a promise that seems to be stalling.
Unfortunately for Giant, its inaction seems to be stalling would-be customers as well:
1. Initial shock and disbelief
When shown standard battery cage footage, many customers couldn’t believe what they were seeing. “This is disgraceful... This is ridiculous,” one shopper said. Another said:
“Don’t treat the animals like that.”
These reactions highlight how effectively the industry has hidden standard practices from public view.
2. Immediate empathy for the animals
The emotional connection was instant, with customers immediately relating to the animals’ suffering. “Why would you do this to an animal? A chicken?” asked one customer. Another drew a powerful parallel to companion animals:
“That’s like leaving the dog in zero below weather—like you just don’t care.”
3. Calls for justice and accountability
Perhaps most striking were the demands for concrete action. Or as one customer put it:
“They need to go to jail.”
Others emphasized corporate responsibility: “There’s… more integrity for the product and care for the consumer.” The message was clear: Giant’s practices weren't just disappointing—they were viewed as criminal.
4. Recognition of consumer power
Many customers immediately grasped their role in creating change. “I support any sort of effort for consumers to have more of a voice,” one shopper said, “because I think that these things affect our health, even if we’re not like paying attention to it as much as we should.” Others were ready for immediate action:
“This is a bad product. Get it off the shelf.”
5. Demands for better business practices
Customers recognized that treating animals poorly wasn’t just ethically wrong—it was bad business:
“You want people to come back. But if you think this is the way, this is not the way.”
Another added: “I think its worth it to have better conditions,” suggesting customers would support necessary price adjustments for better practices.
The bigger picture
The morning began with activists delivering letters to the store manager, who promised to pass the information to regional leadership. Similar letters were delivered to five other Giant locations across Philadelphia.
But it was the raw, unfiltered reactions of everyday shoppers that told the real story. Regardless of their dietary choices or shopping habits, customers united around one central theme: unnecessary animal cruelty has no place in our food system, and corporations must be held accountable for their promises.
