Hyvee vs Fareway

[somecyguy]

HyVee loses this for pandering parking spots and their roll to check out automation. Hero parking, expecting mother's parking, Hy-Vee Express parking. It's a good gimmick to try and build loyalty from those niche clients. I just want to grab my beer and not park half down the lot. Also I don't want to wait in those automated lines for your dam employee to come type in their Id number and then some BS birthday for my beer purchase.

All self checkout stations have their annoying quirks. but the HyVee nearest me have to be the most rage-inducing piece of garbage ever manufactured. Any slight movement and the thing locks up and says you didn't bag that item and now an attendant must unlock it. Even the people working hate them.

 

[motorcy90]

It would be the old Hy-vee without all the bull **** clothes and other items.. otherwise we honestly just go to walmart, unless we are wanting something to grill/smoke then it just depends on either.

 

[agcy68]

The great debate…
This thought came about after reading the Caleb Grill Fareway deal.

I go to Fareway because it’s close but I don’t pretend to not know the Hyvee is winning this game 35-7. Here are just a few reason off the top of my head

1. Seafood. Fareway’s seafood counter is virtually non existent.
2. Open on Sundays and major holidays. I personally don’t care about your religious values just let me buy my Sunday breakfast on Sunday.
3. Online ordering. I’ve done this at Hyvee a few times and it’s awesome. Just don’t give me the worst avocados you can find.

I’ve got more but I’ll let people chime in first.

Fareway has online ordering now and free if over $35.

Fareway is better for meat and staples

HyVee for exotics and timing.

Downside for HyVee is it’s hard to find some things with all the commercial stuff. Was looking for tomato sauce and found it next to the windshield ice scrapers and stocking hats. Bone in hams were 60 yards away from the meat counter past the eggs and milk and yougurt etc on some misc end cap display. Had to ask to find it. Definitely not convenient to waste 15 minutes looking on what should have been a quick trip!

 

[Dr.bannedman]

Und warum nichts Aldi's?? Wine and candy from Europe. Their dairy products never go bad. Their flowers stay fresh for weeks (nice to know when you're gifting). Their fresh meat is quite good. Shepherd's Pie in the freezer section. And Stollen. My God, the Stollen...

If you don't go to Aldi's, you just don't know what you're missing!

ALDI Grocery Stores - Quality Food. Everyday Low Prices.

i need to try aldis again.

 

[Dr.bannedman]

fareway has a meat market in Lincoln but no grocery store. i need to check it out.

millions of hyvees in Lincoln. they have totally went away from what was great about them. no longer a helpful smile in every aisle.... but there is a cutout of mark walburg. yay

 

[aeroclone]

I'll just put this out there, with the smaller store footprint and the semi open store room design Fareway uses, most of the store smells like their trash compactor. Not exactly an appealing thing for a store where I am buying food.

 

[Cyched]

Agree that HyVee needs to re-emphasize the "helpful smile." A big part of their identity and success.

The aisles online shoppers are just straight up rude.

 

[arobb]

Hyvee has been dead to me ever since the demise of Moose Brothers Pizza.

 

[FerShizzle]

I didn’t realize how many cranky old people were on CF until reading this thread.

 

[Die4Cy]

Does Fareway still price match based on competitor ads? I assume not because I never see that advertised in store anymore.

They no longer offer that. Source: Daughter who is Fareway checker.

 

[Turn2]

Boone vs. Chariton? I’ll take Minneapolis.

 

[somecyguy]

The aisles online shoppers are just straight up rude.

I know the employees tasked with fulfilling those orders are under pressure to get them out quickly, but many times it feels like shoppers in the store are competing with them. They park their carts dead center of the aisle, reach around people to get items and generally just push past shoppers.

 

[usedcarguy]

Speaking of Hy-Vee, I stopped in at one of their smaller "Fresh Market" concept stores when I was in Nevada for Thanksgiving. Overall, I was impressed. It's about the size of a Fareway or an Aldi's, with a lot of it's own non-Hyvee off brand stuff. I now see some of that same brand making it's way into HyVees along side their Hyvee branded products.

They seem like a company that will throw pretty much anything up against the wall to see if it sticks. Some of it works, some of it bombs. But they're always trying.

I'm mostly a Walmart guy. But as grocers, they truly suck. If they ever figure things out, the competition is in trouble. But their prices absolutely blow Hyvee out of the water. Many of the items I buy are comparable, but many are 30-50% more. The sliced ham I buy a lot of is $6.49/lb at Hyvee versus $3.99. Not everything is cheap at Walmart though. I get most of my beef and pork at Sam's Club because of better quality and pricing.

 

[jcisuclones]

Hyvee died a long time ago, right around the same time they began extremely price gouging, and their "helpful smiles" got replaced by teenagers blocking the aisles with their aisles online carts and refuse to acknowledge you. Hyvee Chinese is overrated. I worked at a fairly busy Hyvee about 10 years ago, and you wouldn't believe how long it sits out for. If you go early enough in the day, you're getting yesterday's leftovers.

Only time I ever step foot in Hyvee anymore is for their liquor department, or if it's Sunday and I forgot to pick something up from Fareway or Aldi during the week.

 

[CloneGuy8]

Fareway, but its always strange having some high schooler walk you out to your car.

 

[Blandboy]

I shop both, plus Aldi. Fareway for meat and promos, Hy-Vee for promos and difficult-to-find items. Aldi gets the bulk of my $.

 

[ISUAgronomist]

Fareway, but its always strange having some high schooler walk you out to your car.

But they never run out of carts that way

 

[CyCloned]

I buy most of the groceries at Walmart. They have good prices and there milk is way cheaper than Hyvee or Fareway. Walmart's produce and meat sections are not very good. I like the meat counter at Fareway, and they tend to have some great deals on pop and beer. The problem with their beer deals is that the local Fareway rarely has the better beers in stock. (Exile, Sam Adams, and Big Grove show up in the ads, but not the stores) HyVee has some good deals, but in general prices are higher there. They do have a nice produce section.

 

[Die4Cy]

Five years ago I would have said Hy-Vee hands down. Now they seem to have adopted an odd combination of highest prices and worst customer service and outside of their very nice selection of booze I would shop just about anywhere else.

 

[cydsho]

I didn’t realize how many cranky old people were on CF until reading this thread.

Hold my beer......
I like Hyvee and completely grew up with it over Fareway but the stores have grown to Walmart Target size and the "our house" commercials are so freaking self absorbed I'd boycott just for that. Plus I used to like that song and now it's basically ruined because it's played so much.
I like a grocery store where I can go in, get what i need and still have a good selection and that is Fareway now.
Now get off my lawn......