Hy-Vee-What's up?

[dmclone]

Just in the last few weeks:

• Multiple fulfillment centers are closing (Omaha, KC, DSM)
• Five Hy-Vee Market Grille restaurants in central Iowa will transition into Wahlburgers restaurants by early summer, resulting in some layoffs.
  
• Hy-Vee announced that some of its store directors will become district store directors, who will oversee several stores and mentor store managers.
  
• No longer open 24hrs
• 30 in-store dietitians will transfer to the corporate health and wellness team to support companywide programs.
• Purchasing 5 QT's in the Des Moines area.Fast & Fresh Express

https://www.kcci.com/article/hy-vee-layoffs-total-368-at-urbandale-fulfillment-center/31351944

So are they in trouble, trying to stay ahead of the curve, shoring up things before being acquired, etc.

 

[isufbcurt]

Probably expanded things to fast and need to lean out

 

[WhoISthis]

Loved the 24h Hy-Vee! Was the only time I would intentionally go.

 

[dosry5]

I blame it all on those stupid bath bomb display/areas that they put in stores.

 

[dosry5]

And maybe I’m just an old man now, but I started working there at age 14 through high school, went back after the military as a college job and back then (not THAT long ago) it was a freaking grocery store that emphasized customer service over all else. Now try finding an employee in an aisle that knows where a specific item you’re looking for is. Try finding an empty and open check out lane. Try finding a shift manager that’s not more worried about their phone or chatting with other workers. In my day you’d get written up for not greeting a customer in the aisle. Now it’s not so much a grocery store as they want it to be a lifestyle thing. Dumb.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

HyVee is a dumpster fire. Over the last 10 years it has been one bad decision after another. They used to be a customer first grocery chain but around the late 2000's that started to change. They forgot what made HyVee an Iowa staple and made a bunch of really bad business decision fueled by greed. I don't get it either because they OWNED the Iowa market. I get that they wanted to expand but they went about it the wrong way.

 

[JP4CY]

The curse of the Market Grille. Just an absolute bomb of an idea.

 

[CloneinWDSM]

There’s no greater hell than grocery shopping at the Waukee HyVee on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[spierceisu]

I liked Hy-Vee for more specialized things, but it started getting too pricey for me to shop there much. We do Walmart Grocery Pickup, Fareway, and Aldi and save a ton of money. I feel HyVee put too much "other crap" like clothes, bath bombs (mentioned above) and other garbage. They then had to have their prices super high due to expensive inventory and overhead. I can't justify spending that much more for the same thing that I can get at other stores like Fareway.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

And maybe I’m just an old man now, but I started working there at age 14 through high school, went back after the military as a college job and back then (not THAT long ago) it was a freaking grocery store that emphasized customer service over all else. Now try finding an employee in an aisle that knows where a specific item you’re looking for is. Try finding an empty and open check out lane. Try finding a shift manager that’s not more worried about their phone or chatting with other workers. In my day you’d get written up for not greeting a customer in the aisle. Now it’s not so much a grocery store as they want it to be a lifestyle thing. Dumb.

Same! I worked at HyVee in high school and employees were all over the store. Hell, the store directors spent a ton of time on the floor too. IMO the biggest lesson to learn is that sometimes simple is best.

 

[MartyFine]

I don't understand adding clothing like they did at the Fleur location by the airport? That can't be profitable, can it?

 

[Beernuts]

I blame it on their sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings. Anyone that touches that franchise needs to be prepared for a lifetime of disappointment and misery. (Coming from a lifetime Viking fan).

 

[Gunnerclone]

HyVee has definitely made some poor business decisions but come out to CBus sometime and hit up a Kroger or a Giant Eagle and you will be fapping to a picture of the Waukee HyVee on a Sunday afternoon because you miss it so much.

 

[dmclone]

And maybe I’m just an old man now, but I started working there at age 14 through high school, went back after the military as a college job and back then (not THAT long ago) it was a freaking grocery store that emphasized customer service over all else. Now try finding an employee in an aisle that knows where a specific item you’re looking for is. Try finding an empty and open check out lane. Try finding a shift manager that’s not more worried about their phone or chatting with other workers. In my day you’d get written up for not greeting a customer in the aisle. Now it’s not so much a grocery store as they want it to be a lifestyle thing. Dumb.

Wow, this almost mirrors my views. I worked there for 2 years in high school, 4 years of college, and 2 years after college.

The customer service they are now providing is embarrassing. I'm sure I'm extra critical since I've worked there but right now it's just barely better than Wal-Mart.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I blame it on their sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings. Anyone that touches that franchise needs to be prepared for a lifetime of disappointment and misery. (Coming from a lifetime Viking fan).

Yep but HyVee struck gold with the sponsorship of the Royals, Chiefs, The Kansas Jayhawks.

 

[SCNCY]

HyVee has definitely made some poor business decisions but come out to CBus sometime and hit up a Kroger or a Giant Eagle and you will be fapping to a picture of the Waukee HyVee on a Sunday afternoon because you miss it so much.

Can't agree more. I recently moved to Rhode Island from Kansas city and the grocery stores here suck. The meat counter is like 1/4 of that at an average Hy-Vee. Basically only two glass windows in width. Some only have a single glass window.

 

[dmclone]

One thing to keep in mind, is that all that weird stuff they carry like bath bombs have very high profit margins. The actual food items (non frozen) you buy have very little profit margin. At least that was the case 20+ years ago. Hy-Vee profits come from those outside departments like non-food, produce, meat, bakery, deli, etc.

This may be totally off but I'm wondering if they are trying to actually get less people doing their Aisles program. When you use their Aisles program you are a lot less likely to buy things from those high profit areas.

 

[cycloner29]

As long as they still have the liquor sale at the Urbandale location in October, I'm OK with whatever they do.

 

[Cy$]

And maybe I’m just an old man now, but I started working there at age 14 through high school, went back after the military as a college job and back then (not THAT long ago) it was a freaking grocery store that emphasized customer service over all else. Now try finding an employee in an aisle that knows where a specific item you’re looking for is. Try finding an empty and open check out lane. Try finding a shift manager that’s not more worried about their phone or chatting with other workers. In my day you’d get written up for not greeting a customer in the aisle. Now it’s not so much a grocery store as they want it to be a lifestyle thing. Dumb.

Did you provide a helpful smile in every aisle?

 

[Cyched]

Did you provide a helpful smile in every aisle?

Dosry is why they had to implement that policy