Hy-Vee-What's up?

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BillBrasky4Cy

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Retail is changing, they are trying to stay ahead of the curve and will try things that fail. Retailers who aren't trying to innovate are the ones who will ultimately lose.

Side note: People seem to enjoy hating on Hy-Vee, I'm not sure why. They are an incredible community partner, offer great benefits, employ groups of need. If you don't like to shop at Hy-Vee fine, but I don't get the hate or people who seem to hope for their demise. Our community loses if the Hy-Vee were replaced by another chain.

I personally don't hate HyVee but when I worked for a supplier of HyVee I can certainly tell you that they aren't the easiest to work with. I'm simply pointing out that they have made a lot of really expensive decisions and lets get serious, HyVee isn't just absorbing that. You can bet your a$$ they are passing that along to the customer.
 
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ruxCYtable

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One of my best friends is a new store manager (one of the assistants who got promoted in the re-org.) He said the CEO thinks he is a genius and it's all the employees faults.
 
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cc1091

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My understanding is that there have been a number of people who worked in the Cedar Rapids stores for decades who have been let go lately. So many, that an age discrimination lawsuit is being prepared.
 
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Gunnerclone

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I think the Market Districts are better than a Hy-Vee. Though I'll admit, it's so damn expensive.

I mean look at the one that I grew up near....
Market-District-Green.jpg


What about Marc's? They down in Columbus? They remind me of Fareway's a lot. That's where we'd shop for Boy Scouts or big groups. Big value for what you got.

Ya we have Marc’s. I’ve tried to get in to it but it hasn’t gotten me away from Kroger yet. I have a decent Kroger I go to (not a Marketplace). Kroger has decent prices but my main thing is I have a nice two week rotation to Costco. By far the best meat around here.
 

Isualum13

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I don’t know if other HyVee’s have the parking for electric cars like the Urbandale one does, but in the history of time has anyone ever seen someone parked there and using it as intended?

The new store in austin, mn has them I've seen a car plugged in maybe 2 times. The demand for these isnt here yet and once it is, two spaces wont be anywhere near enough.
 

cc1091

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The curse of the Market Grille. Just an absolute bomb of an idea.
Yup. I hate to say it, but they're hemorrhaging cash there. Used to be half price apps and taps during happy hour, now $5 apps and $2 off taps during happy hour. Happy hour is now reduced from a 2pm start to a 4 pm start (except at one store that will remain nameless, but whose 'manager' is expecting to move to a real restaurant). Quite frankly, the apps were never that great, and the food normally was awful. Hate most of the tap takeovers because you often have a majority of beers that the brewery can't sell left on the open taps for far too long. I enjoy a good rotation of only the good beers at other times. Also dislike the idea that higher alcohol beers are limited to 10 oz glasses (but that is another cost saving measure).
 

Farnsworth

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Our local HyVee is pretty good. It's an older, smaller one in CR. I agree the Market Grille thing was a dumb idea-- devoting a lot of expensive space so older folks can sit around and drink coffee and read the paper for free was somehow not a money-maker. Ours has pushed that back quite a bit.

Like most retail places (restaurant chains especially) - if the manager is good, the whole place is great. If manager is bad, place is a disaster.

I grew up with and working for Hy-Vee so I was kinda always a homer. But the old setup of the deli was just so much better! I want to walk up, place my order for something simple, and go sit in a common area. I've never even been to a Market Grille because, well it's a dumb idea. I wonder how much they actually sale with needing the additional staff, and how much beer are they realistically selling.

Maybe I should go to market grill for the ISU game tonight as research.
 
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CYdTracked

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One of my best friends is a new store manager (one of the assistants who got promoted in the re-org.) He said the CEO thinks he is a genius and it's all the employees faults.

I don't know much about the current CEO but Ron Pearson was the CEO and then at the tail end when I worked there he retired and Ric Jurgens took over and both were great executives I thought. Ron especially, he used to shop at my store on the weekends and everyone in the store knew when he was in there because word traveled fast once he was spotted. He was just like any other customer though, would chat and share stories if you helped him with something. Ron was a pretty personable guy in the office too, had a few interactions with him when I was interning and felt he treated everyone the same regardless of who you are. My brother worked at the DM Golf and Country Club around the same time and said Ron was one of their favorite customers. Ric seemed to be similar type of CEO as Ron was I think.

In a retail business like Hy-Vee it all starts with the management because there is always a lot of turnover with part time and front line jobs that can affect consistency. I traveled around to stores all across the chain the 2 summers I interned and you could tell which ones were thriving and which ones struggling based on what your interactions and observations with the management was. Same thing with the 2 stores I worked part time in, the managers that were on top of things and knew everything that was going inside that store and actually did their jobs by not being scared to interact and get their hands dirty made those store run well while the ones that sat back and expected the front line people knew what they were doing and didn't hold them accountable or manage them properly those stores seemed a little more chaotic at times.
 
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acoustimac

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They used to be about service and careers. The latest moves are to get rid of the managers who spent a lifetime working for the company and as a result of their hard work and loyalty were able to buy company stock and have a great retirement. They also based their pay off of store profits. There is no longer a reason to be a career person with the company.
 

coolerifyoudid

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Feb 8, 2013
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HyVee moved into KC a number of years ago, but I think they are still struggling to compete with the well-established Price Chopper market. The two HyVees nearest to me went into existing grocery store locations that weren't very well located IMO. Older stores, older looking parking lots, more difficult accessibility, limited cart returns, etc.

Price-wise, they are on the higher end of things, but I don't really pay a ton of attention to whether or not something is $.50 cheaper at one store versus another. Unless I'm buying a significant dollar amount of an item that it noticeably cheaper, it's more about the convenience of the location and whether or not I can find what I want easily.

The Price Chopper near my house recently did some renovations and moved a bunch of stuff around. I'm getting used to things now, but it's amazing how friggin' annoying it was the first few times.
 

Isualum13

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Here is my 2 cents. Some of this stuff may have been mentioned.


austin, mn opened a new store a couple years ago. They recently made their market grille a market grille express and removed the Italian street food department. It is a very nice store, but the first time I stepped foot in there when the new store opened, I could tell that many of the departments wouldn't make money, and I found myself wondering what the **** are you thinking? That parking lot seems to always be full, aside from the two charging station spots. I do wonder how many of the cars belong to employees though.

The biggest issue I see with hy vee as a whole is the customers they had before these changes didnt need any of this new stuff and it didnt bring many new repeat customers. They likely ran off more customers than they brought in. Although Austin seems to be more busy in the new store than it used to be, people seem to be just going for the groceries.

I worked in the kitchen in the west hy vee in ames when they opened the market cafe, the number of people that came for the UAB march madness game was shocking and way more than the cafe was ready for and the cooks were overwhelmed. This threw a wrench in the rest of the kitchen operations. With the result of the game and the long wait for food it likely left a sour taste in many peoples minds. It could have been a good chance to make a good impression on a lot of people, but it had just opened and people were still learning.

And as far as the helpful smile thing, I've noticed that with the stronger job market customer service positions everywhere seem to be filled with more people lower on the talent level. I've noticed this most at wal mart. The local Dollar General was never great in this aspect but now it's nearly enough to get me to leave town and drive a half hour when I need toilet paper
 

Farnsworth

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As someone that used to work in a store and knows how the front end runs its frustrating when you bring a full cart of groceries to a checkout and there is no one there bagging them or a shift manager just standing there and sees it and not stepping in themselves to help out or calling more help up front. When they get a big rush at checkout the side departments are asked to send someone up front to help bag groceries since inventory can always be re-stocked when things slow down. The frozen, dairy, meat and produce almost always could stop what they were doing and send 1 person up front to help out while the kitchen areas might not.

So when I heard "Farnsy courtesy please" I wasn't suppose to run straight to the freezer as you couldn't hear the loudspeaker in there?

But to your first point sometimes the manager overdoes it and wants to use the whole story at all times to keep it moving. I normally worked dairy, in high school, have school the next day, I can't courtesy all night because I will be home so late trying to get pull down done.
 
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SoapyCy

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Hyvee is still a way better grocery store than most and it is cheaper than some of the ones up here in the cities (Lund & Byerlys, Kowalskis, etc.)

I used to work at Kowalski's and they are definitely not trying to be cheap. In fact, they have high prices simply to keep the experience better. That is about the only place my mom goes outside of Costco and whatever their marketing is, it works for her and many others. Their prices make it so there aren't usually huge families running around, or kids racing carts through the aisles, or even the demographic that shops at Walmart. If you're going to those places to compare prices you'll never leave happy.
 
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ISUCyclones2015

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Yup. I hate to say it, but they're hemorrhaging cash there. Used to be half price apps and taps during happy hour, now $5 apps and $2 off taps during happy hour. Happy hour is now reduced from a 2pm start to a 4 pm start (except at one store that will remain nameless, but whose 'manager' is expecting to move to a real restaurant). Quite frankly, the apps were never that great, and the food normally was awful. Hate most of the tap takeovers because you often have a majority of beers that the brewery can't sell left on the open taps for far too long. I enjoy a good rotation of only the good beers at other times. Also dislike the idea that higher alcohol beers are limited to 10 oz glasses (but that is another cost saving measure).

A few reasons for putting them in smaller glasses:

1.) No one wants to pay $15 for a 22oz pour of a 10% beer. Smaller glasses keep the costs in line with other beers for the consumer.
2.) Some states have laws that don't allow you to pour high ABV in bigger glasses without a different type of liquor license.
3.) Lots of people are ignorant to the fact that a 22oz of a 10% beer can do a number on someone.
 

BillBrasky4Cy

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They have always been wildly inconsistent. When I used to split time working between Ames and West Des Moines about 10 years ago the General Chicken at East Ames was nothing like the General Chicken at the Windsor Heights store.
Ha! My comment solely revolved around the General Chicken inconsistencies.
 
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SoapyCy

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I love the selection at Hyvee, and I've never had a problem with customer service, but we really stopped going there for staples because of a relatively minor issue.

the sales price on items almost never rings up at the register. if you buy a chinese or italian special there is a better than 50% chance the cashier will need to call back there to confirm a sale price that never rang up. it's annoying.
 

Gunnerclone

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I also know that HyVee has done a lot of automation, especially for their prepared foods. I heard they can make like 8 million “take home and bake” pizzas a week in their plant and it takes like 20 people to run it. I could have those numbers off but it was something crazy and they make a KILLING on those things.
 
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BillBrasky4Cy

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One of my best friends is a new store manager (one of the assistants who got promoted in the re-org.) He said the CEO thinks he is a genius and it's all the employees faults.
There's a reason things have went to $hit since Ron Pearson hung it up...
 

JP4CY

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Giant Eagle is like Dahls level for me. Their Market Districts rival a regular HyVee (but SO expensive). no acmes that I’m aware of. Still waiting for Sheetz to get here because the “convenience stores” here a ******* joke as well.
Sheetz is probably my favorite gas station chain in the Country. Wawa's aren't too bad-many don't sell gas though. The touchscreen MTO items are the bomb.

Have you been to Jungle Jim's grocery store? Its crazy.