Hy-Vee's weirdest business decision yet?

Trice

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After seeing how successful the indy car race was this weekend, it made me wonder how great hyvee would be if they spent more time focusing on their customers than branding.

The successful branding effort from this weekend convinced you they should do less branding?
 

Jer

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Personally, I like Hy-Vee a lot more. Selection is 100x better and that matters a lot with picky eaters in the house (myself included).

But, the thing I like most about Hy-Vee is actually the meat. Not only do you get a huge selection, but you can get the steaks, burgers, etc that last 2+ weeks instead of needing to be cooked in the next 2 days. That allows me a lot of flexibility when getting meat for the week (which we eat a lot of in our house).
 

carvers4math

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Do the online Fareway pickup. It works so well, I haven’t been in a grocery store in over a year.

When they had Fareway cream cheese on sale, I ordered some as it is my new go to for getting dog to eat his allegedly tasty chewable Simparica Trio. They were out so substituted with Philadelphia at the sale price for the store brand.
 
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tm3308

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The successful branding effort from this weekend convinced you they should do less branding?
No, he's saying that they put a lot of effort and energy into branding, and that maybe their actual product would be better if some of that energy were put into things that actually benefit customers.
 
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jcisuclones

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The successful branding effort from this weekend convinced you they should do less branding?
I was referencing how they should focus more on understanding their customers wants (ie nobody gives a **** about bath bombs or buying shoes while buying overpriced groceries) than the ceo getting on his knees for mark whalburg
 

Trice

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No, he's saying that they put a lot of effort and energy into branding, and that maybe their actual product would be better if some of that energy were put into things that actually benefit customers.

Like auto racing?

I get what he's saying, but it does contradict itself. The thing they just did pretty well by most accounts was a branding exercise that had nothing to do with their core business.

I think people get too hung up on the advertising stuff. That's a drop in the bucket compared to remodeling a huge portion of your grocery stores for a restaurant nobody asked for, then re-remodeling some of those as shrines to Mark Wahlberg.
 
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JP4CY

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Saw this post on Reddit and it fits pretty damn well...
My Fareway, most employees wear red or grey/black polo shirts. Maybe management only wears white?
I think there's paper hats but a lot of the meat guys wear a black baseball cap. Probably keeps hair off meat.
I get the point of the manager sitting up high above produce or meat but to me that makes building sense because it would be wasted space.

I absolutely get why people go to HyVee for selection, Sundays, etc.
 
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JP4CY

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Like auto racing?

I get what he's saying, but it does contradict itself. The thing they just did pretty well by most accounts was a branding exercise that had nothing to do with their core business.

I think people get too hung up on the advertising stuff. That's a drop in the bucket compared to remodeling a huge portion of your grocery stores for a restaurant nobody asked for, then re-remodeling some of those as shrines to Mark Wahlberg.
Wahlberg was in Newton. I wonder how much they pay him.
 

baller21

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It's not about guaranteeing at least one day off every week. It's guaranteeing at least one *weekend* day off, which is more challenging to do if the store is open all weekend. As someone whose job can create really weird schedules, not having a day off on the weekend blows. What good does having a day off on Tuesday do? Nothing's happening on a Tuesday.
I can get way more done on a Tuesday off than a Sunday when a lot of businesses are closed.
 

Jer

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Meat at Hyvee is trash. Feel bad for anyone that uses them for their meat counter.

You do realize that most of it comes from the same cows and the same processing plants? I've known somebody that worked in the distribution chain and managed part of the flow of meat that came from the same place and went to both distribution channels.
 
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alarson

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Meat at Hyvee is trash. Feel bad for anyone that uses them for their meat counter.

This may vary a lot by store and what you're ordering. The Ankeny hyvee meat counter certainly isn't "trash".
 
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Jer

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This may vary a lot by store and what you're ordering. The Ankeny hyvee meat counter certainly isn't "trash".

Waukee either. The Waukee Hy-Vee has better meat (at least beef and chicken) than the Waukee Fareway - at least in my 8 years of experience. That includes both the meat counter and the packaged stuff.
 

GMackey32

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My Fareway, most employees wear red or grey/black polo shirts. Maybe management only wears white?
I think there's paper hats but a lot of the meat guys wear a black baseball cap. Probably keeps hair off meat.
I get the point of the manager sitting up high above produce or meat but to me that makes building sense because it would be wasted space.

I absolutely get why people go to HyVee for selection, Sundays, etc.
Fareway employees haven’t worn white dress shirts in 3-4 years. Moved to red polos. Assistant managers wear gray or black. Store managers wear white dress shirts. Employees prepping food either need to wear a hairnet, paper hat, or black baseball cap to keep hair off the food. Manager sits above the produce section to be able to see over most of the store while doing bookwork. Safe, money drawers, sensitive employee records, etc are in the Manager’s office so being elevated makes sense as it’s harder to break into.
 

cydsho

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I like HyVee and grew up going to one but I like Fareway better because it is much easier to get in, get my things, and get out. Hyvee's have grown so large now and I spend more time walking throughout the store had having to park farther away.
Most of the time I just want a grocery store. Not another super store.
 
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deadeyededric

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It's not about guaranteeing at least one day off every week. It's guaranteeing at least one *weekend* day off, which is more challenging to do if the store is open all weekend. As someone whose job can create really weird schedules, not having a day off on the weekend blows. What good does having a day off on Tuesday do? Nothing's happening on a Tuesday.
That's why people who want Sundays off shouldn't work at grocery stores.
 
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