WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, 2017-Nov-16 — /EPR Retail News/ — Hy-Vee, Inc. is expanding several of its facilities and making changes at some of its stores to meet customers’ changing lifestyles. Construction is already underway and includes projects across the company’s eight-state region.
“This fiscal year, we have approved one of our largest capital expenditure budgets in our company’s history to make sure we are not only meeting our customers’ needs, but fulfilling their wants, now and in the future,” said Randy Edeker, Hy-Vee’s chairman, CEO and president. “We’ve studied customer habits and lifestyles and know that fewer people are cooking meals at home than ever before. We want our offerings to help individuals who are looking for something healthy to eat on the go as well as families who want to enjoy a sit-down meal that they can easily claim as their own.”
To meet these needs, several major projects are already underway, including:
- Construction of a 240,000-square-foot production facility in Ankeny, Iowa, which will serve as a commissary and central bakery as Hy-Vee offers more fresh prepared options and meal kits to its customers. The project also includes an expansion of Hy-Vee’s subsidiary PDI.
- Construction of a 48,000-square-foot production facility that will support Hy-Vee’s Short Cuts produce brand. The facility, which is adjacent to Hy-Vee’s current distribution center in Chariton, Iowa, will produce fresh cut, retail-ready fruits and vegetables for customers beginning in January 2018.
- Construction of Hy-Vee’s new 10,000-square-foot convenience and meal solutions stores, named Fast & Fresh, in the Des Moines area and Davenport, Iowa. These stores will feature grocery items, fresh prepared foods and a coffee shop. Another type of small store concept will open in West Des Moines, Iowa, in 2018.
Hy-Vee is also planning to open three new e-commerce fulfillment centers, located in Kansas City, Twin Cities and Omaha, in the upcoming years. These facilities are in addition to the existing fulfillment center in Des Moines and will meet the needs of the company’s growing online ordering services.
Over the upcoming weeks, Hy-Vee is transitioning several of its Hy-Vee Market Grille restaurants to Hy-Vee Market Grille Expresses. At the Hy-Vee Market Grille Express, customers will be able to quickly order food, pay at a nearby pay station, then sit and enjoy their meal in a casual self-service, contemporary atmosphere. Each Hy-Vee Market Grille Express will offer a full-service bar where customers can enjoy a variety of beverages while watching their favorite game or sporting event on TV. The Hy-Vee Market Grille Express concept also allows customers to have a more convenient and quick eating experience if they are “on the go.”
In addition, Hy-Vee will soon be making an announcement about the opening of its first Wahlburgers restaurant. In August, the company announced that it would build, own and operate 26 Wahlburgers, making it the chain’s largest franchisee.
To further help people with busy schedules, Hy-Vee will also change the way it communicates with consumers as more direct mail pieces, including the company’s new month-long mega ad, will be sent to customers’ mailboxes in the near future.
Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 245 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $10 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee ranks in the Top 10 Most Trusted Brands and has been named one of America’s Top 5 favorite grocery stores. The company’s 85,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.
Source: Hy-Vee, Inc.