Hy-Vee

[Moline]

Hy-Vee is expanding to more of the Midwest and beyond! Announced in December 2021 by Randy Edeker in a video, Hy-Vee is eyeing new stores, 7 of which are expected to open no later than 2023 while the other 14 by 2025. These new stores mark the first new states for Hy-Vee since expanding into Wisconsin in 2009. The new store planned for the Midwest region will be based in the Indianapolis, Indiana region, while the other stores planned will slot in at Louisville, Kentucky (1), Knoxville (1), Nashville (2), and Memphis, Tennessee (1), and Huntsville, Alabama (1), all of which are in the South, a totally new area for Hy-Vee altogether.

In addition, a new distribution center, their first outside of Iowa, is planned for Nashville as well. This will serve the new stores plus Southwest Missouri. Hy-Vee's primary competitors with these stores will include Cincinnati, Ohio based Kroger and Lakeland, Florida based Publix.

In a story later posted by the Des Moines Register, Edeker stated they have no plans as of right now to move into Texas, citing Texans loyalty to H.E.B. He also stated that they are reevaluating their stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota region due to somewhat poor sales. They also scrapped an Austin, Minnesota distribution center (had this one happened, it would have beaten Nashville as the first outside Iowa) as well.

In addition, Hy-Vee is launching a new liquor store concept called Wall-to-Wall Liquor which will focus on wine and spirits. This is not the same as the liquor stores attached to Hy-Vee stores, but rather a stand-alone store. A few stores which have closed turned into this concept with more to come in places such as Lincoln, Nebraska.

And Hy-Vee is also closing/converting some stores as well. One in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is being converted into a non-retail bakery/pharmacy fulfillment center. Whether or not visitors will be allowed in remains to be seen. Another in Kansas City, Missouri will be converted to the aforementioned Wall-to-Wall concept while two others in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois, both acquired in the late-2000's after Milan, Illinois based Eagle Food Center went kerplunk in 2003, will just outright close.

And in other news, Hy-Vee is launching new stores featuring alcove shops similar to Walmart. The shops featured include Joe Fresh clothing, DSW shoe deparments, and a nail bar called the W Nail Bar. Plus, the Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh, which is Hy-Vee's take on Walmart Neighborhood Market that launched in 2018 is expanding as well.

Stay tuned as more info about these stores come out.

Source: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/retail/2021/12/17/hyvee-expanding-midwest-tennessee-indiana-alabama-kentucky-2023/8910253002/?s=09 https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/hy-vee-announces-first-indiana-store https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/hy-vee-expanding-kentucky-announces-louisville-store