Hy-Vee's weirdest business decision yet?

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

JP4CY

I'm Mike Jones
Staff member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 19, 2008
63,939
76,994
113
Testifying
This thread is a good reminder that another Costco is coming to the area soon-ish. No drama, no flailing around trying to find a gimmick that sticks. Just good prices and good quality.
And COSTCO employees actually don't look like they hate being there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Snydes

Gunnerclone

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2010
68,593
68,504
113
DSM
It wouldn't be CF without the weekly bash Hy-Vee thread! Seems for each of you who hate the place, there are 5 other people that love it, so I guess they're doing OK.

I'm not a fanatic of the place by any means, but their selection (in food AND beer/liquor) alone keeps me coming back. If you pay attention to sales you can get most things at or below Fareway/Target prices, so I think the price thing is overblown. And no I don't need shoes or bath bombs from my grocery store, but it also doesn't hurt me. Even with that 'wasted space', they have 3x the selection of Fareway on everything not meat - good luck if you're wanting more than 1-2 flavors/brands of yogurt/chips/cheese/applesauce/etc from Fareway.

I too get sick of the plebes arguing over which poors store they spend their measly wages at. I only shop Whole Foods but if I’m slumming and need a specific organic item I will go to Trader’s Joes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Macloney

aeroclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
9,765
5,762
113
Put me in the camp of people who will happily pay a little more for a store that is clean, well lit, with a good selection and helpful staff.

Aldi and Fareway stores just feel dumpy to me. Walmart has dumpy stores to go along with blah employees and customers. Target is fine for store and staff but lacking in selection.

I think HyVee has everything they need to win in their space, they just need to get back to who they are and execute the heck out of it.
 

BillBrasky4Cy

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 10, 2013
15,239
27,679
113
Yeah I am in the "neutral on hyvee" segment. it's not as expensive as people say, and if you shop the ads it is competitive with Fareway. They do have really good selection generally, produce usually very good.

I am NOT a fan of the "upscale" hyvee layouts they are going to (e.g. Edgewood road in CR) with the short aisles and large open areas with their food court stations around it. Its designed to make you stay longer, and they hope you spend more. Plus that stuff is all higher margin I would guess. It's sort of like gas stations - they really want you to come inside and impulse buy a bunch of high margin pop, donuts, chips, etc; that's where the money is.

HyVee's everyday shelf prices is really high.
 

BillBrasky4Cy

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 10, 2013
15,239
27,679
113
Caseys hasnt made awesome pizza for a while now. its not the same product it was a decade ago. there is literally no reason to go to that trash store. i will die on this hill

You just have to find a good oven. Hint: if you walk in the door and the Casey's has more than one bathroom order at your own risk.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Macloney

ZRF

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2015
4,392
2,114
113
Put me in the camp of people who will happily pay a little more for a store that is clean, well lit, with a good selection and helpful staff.

Aldi and Fareway stores just feel dumpy to me. Walmart has dumpy stores to go along with blah employees and customers. Target is fine for store and staff but lacking in selection.

I think HyVee has everything they need to win in their space, they just need to get back to who they are and execute the heck out of it.

Depends where you are. There are lots of places (Overland Park is where I live for reference) where the Aldi's are far from janky.

Other than buying their "fresh" meat, which I have found to be a very risky proposition, Aldi knocks it out of the park in the value and layout department. Basically everything I would go into Aldi for is located on the periphery of the store. I can literally pull up, shop, and have 130 bucks in groceries (or more) in 15 minutes. There literally not another store you can do that in. And it's awesome.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PFlatts and NWICY

BillBrasky4Cy

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 10, 2013
15,239
27,679
113
Put me in the camp of people who will happily pay a little more for a store that is clean, well lit, with a good selection and helpful staff.

Aldi and Fareway stores just feel dumpy to me. Walmart has dumpy stores to go along with blah employees and customers. Target is fine for store and staff but lacking in selection.

I think HyVee has everything they need to win in their space, they just need to get back to who they are and execute the heck out of it.

I think that's the point everyone is trying to make...
 

aeroclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
9,765
5,762
113
Depends where you are. There are lots of places (Overland Park is where I live for reference) where the Aldi's are far from janky.

Other than buying their "fresh" meat, which I have found to be a very risky proposition, Aldi knocks it out of the park in the value and layout department. Basically everything I would go into Aldi for is located on the periphery of the store. I can literally pull up, shop, and have 130 bucks in groceries (or more) in 15 minutes. There literally not another store you can do that in. And it's awesome.

You near 159th and Metcalf? Still not my cup of tea but it is a nicer Aldis.

That said, that really isn't what HyVee needs to compete against. There aren't a lot of upscale Aldi locations around the HV footprint. And it is still a different level of selection and services than what HyVee offers even if you toss out the crap they shouldn't do like shoes, bath bombs, and walk in clinics. HyVee at its core is adequately differentiated.
 

JP4CY

I'm Mike Jones
Staff member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 19, 2008
63,939
76,994
113
Testifying
You near 159th and Metcalf? Still not my cup of tea but it is a nicer Aldis.

That said, that really isn't what HyVee needs to compete against. There aren't a lot of upscale Aldi locations around the HV footprint. And it is still a different level of selection and services than what HyVee offers even if you toss out the crap they shouldn't do like shoes, bath bombs, and walk in clinics. HyVee at its core is adequately differentiated.
There is a small chain of liquor stores your way called Lukas that I am in love with.
 

BryceC

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 23, 2006
25,684
18,420
113
It wouldn't be CF without the weekly bash Hy-Vee thread! Seems for each of you who hate the place, there are 5 other people that love it, so I guess they're doing OK.

I'm not a fanatic of the place by any means, but their selection (in food AND beer/liquor) alone keeps me coming back. If you pay attention to sales you can get most things at or below Fareway/Target prices, so I think the price thing is overblown. And no I don't need shoes or bath bombs from my grocery store, but it also doesn't hurt me. Even with that 'wasted space', they have 3x the selection of Fareway on everything not meat - good luck if you're wanting more than 1-2 flavors/brands of yogurt/chips/cheese/applesauce/etc from Fareway.

I used to be a big Hy-Vee guy. I just don't like what they are becoming. All of the stuff they are adding IMO takes away from the experience because I can't get through the store quickly. That's 100% my goal in a grocery store. There is nothing you can add to a grocery shopping experience to make it something I want to actually experience.
 

BWRhasnoAC

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Apr 10, 2013
24,781
21,740
113
Dez Moy Nez
I mean, I guess I won't fault a company for trying. But I find it interesting that for some businesses, its ok to expand beyond their core product, but for others its not.

For example, McDonalds core product is fast food, mainly burgers, chicken, and fries. Then, I believe in the 90's, and 2000's they started investing and expanding in to other areas, which investors loved. Then investors didn't love the idea and demanded that they had to go back to their core product. I just find the idea of what wall street things a business should do is fascinating as they contradicts themselves a lot.
They want everything for nothing.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: SCNCY

CyState85

Well-Known Member
May 8, 2019
760
1,113
93
I actually don’t think this is a weird idea. I had an idea in college of a grocery store that only sells smaller portions of items (pretty much the opposite of Sam’s Club/Costco) called Single Serve.
My professor hated the idea but I still think the single college crowd/cougars would have shopped there.