Hy-Vee's weirdest business decision yet?

[Althetuna]

Then allow food purchases only or something like that. Easy to have codes in their to handle it when it's scanned. I don't know the mark up for groceries. Many years ago, a local grocer said they had a 3% profit margin, people went crazy and didn't know how they survived on 3% and kept yapping at that. If they would have just realized that grocery stores turn their product probably on average at least once every 2 weeks (some every few days) they would see that 3% was a 70-80% return on investment annually. So 10% very well could be cost.

I'm guessing that's what HV is working on now. Limiting what can be purchased with the discount. There could also be some legal reasons why the program was stopped. As I mentioned earlier, the company I work for stopped discounting liquor to employees. I don't remember the exact reason why that specific discount was stopped but it was a legal reason of some sort. The policy violated some state laws IIRC.

 

[mynameisjonas]

Wow, five whopping examples of misuse….better scrap the whole thing and punish 50,000 employees.

They were just trying to save money, and looking for an excuse to stop the discount.

 

[brianhos]

I'm guessing that's what HV is working on now. Limiting what can be purchased with the discount. There could also be some legal reasons why the program was stopped. As I mentioned earlier, the company I work for stopped discounting liquor to employees. I don't remember the exact reason why that specific discount was stopped but it was a legal reason of some sort. The policy violated some state laws IIRC.

HyVee employee discount does not work on liquor. So changing it so it does not work on different items should be pretty easy.

 

[JP4CY]

Why not scan the employee's badge when they purchase to activate the discount?
Seems simple enough.

 

[CloniesForLife]

Why not scan the employee's badge when they purchase to activate the discount?
Seems simple enough.

And then just add some sort of monthly cap so people can't abuse the system. Seems like there are some simple solutions. Just an excuse for a big corporation to cut employee benefits so upper management can get bigger bonuses.

 

[JP4CY]

Honestly what can you buy at HyVee to resell for a profit (and make your time worth it)?

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Honestly what can you buy at HyVee to resell for a profit (and make your time worth it)?

Well, if this policy was started prior to COVID, I can think of a lot of things.

 

[shadow]

Wouldn't getting a big discount at HV just make the price somewhat competitive with aldi or fareway? Seems like it'd be tough to resell for a profit.

 

[nfrine]

True, but how many 10, 100, 1000? They obviously know who was doing it and they are always going to be idiots who try to screw over the system. Why punish the ten of thousands of other employees when they know exactly who was causing the problem?

From the video, it sounds like there will be meetings with the abusers coming up soon. I'm guessing there may be a few more job openings in the near future....
Also mentioned they are scoping out a new program for the future. It may not be prefect, but HV is taking the necessary steps it seems.

 

[BCClone]

Honestly what can you buy at HyVee to resell for a profit (and make your time worth it)?

You could buy two steaks and split the difference with your buddy and make a whopping 50 cents. Now figure in gas for someone to pick it up or deliver and it cost someone a dollar more.

 

[dmclone]

Why not scan the employee's badge when they purchase to activate the discount?
Seems simple enough.

Let me send that over to the IT team in India to work on. It should be ready about the same time they've mastered their delivery.
Someone needs to stop the trainwreck. If they had ball one they would come in and say "no more celebrities, no more racing sponsorships, no more selling treadmills, no more wahlburgers, no more fancy tableside service dining, etc.". 1% of the population thinks these are good ideas. Also, enough expansion talk, you need to make your current markets profitable. Hy-Vee has always been a little more expensive than most but most people could stomach it because of the selection of products and their customer service. Their selection is still good but everyone else has caught up. Their customer service has turned into a joke. No night stock is also a joke. Lets unload a semi full of groceries, 7 days a week, during business hours while customers are trying to shop. Oh I forgot, the delivery shoppers are also in the way. I honestly can't think of a smart decision they've made in a decade. I'm so happy I rolled my 401k into an IRA a long time ago.

 

[Isualum13]

I was told the straw that broke the camels back was someone's discount was used in 5 different states all within an hour.

 

[baller21]

Honestly what can you buy at HyVee to resell for a profit (and make your time worth it)?

Have you seen the price of eggs lately?

Seriously though, baby formula was the first thing I thought of but I have no idea if even that would turn a profit.

 

[Gonzo]

Let me send that over to the IT team in India to work on. It should be ready about the same time they've mastered their delivery.
Someone needs to stop the trainwreck. If they had ball one they would come in and say "no more celebrities, no more racing sponsorships, no more selling treadmills, no more wahlburgers, no more fancy tableside service dining, etc.". 1% of the population thinks these are good ideas. Also, enough expansion talk, you need to make your current markets profitable. Hy-Vee has always been a little more expensive than most but most people could stomach it because of the selection of products and their customer service. Their selection is still good but everyone else has caught up. Their customer service has turned into a joke. No night stock is also a joke. Lets unload a semi full of groceries, 7 days a week, during business hours while customers are trying to shop. Oh I forgot, the delivery shoppers are also in the way. I honestly can't think of a smart decision they've made in a decade. I'm so happy I rolled my 401k into an IRA a long time ago.

I don't even think it's a full 1%. I think it's Randy and maybe 1 or 2 others who get off from the idea of standing next to B-level celebrities.

 

[carvers4math]

Looks like I’ll see a lot more of the local Hy-Vee employees looking sheepish while they shop at the Fareway 15 minutes away for decent prices and an actual meat counter instead of prepackaged crap.

 

[KnappShack]

Let me send that over to the IT team in India to work on. It should be ready about the same time they've mastered their delivery.
Someone needs to stop the trainwreck. If they had ball one they would come in and say "no more celebrities, no more racing sponsorships, no more selling treadmills, no more wahlburgers, no more fancy tableside service dining, etc.". 1% of the population thinks these are good ideas. Also, enough expansion talk, you need to make your current markets profitable. Hy-Vee has always been a little more expensive than most but most people could stomach it because of the selection of products and their customer service. Their selection is still good but everyone else has caught up. Their customer service has turned into a joke. No night stock is also a joke. Lets unload a semi full of groceries, 7 days a week, during business hours while customers are trying to shop. Oh I forgot, the delivery shoppers are also in the way. I honestly can't think of a smart decision they've made in a decade. I'm so happy I rolled my 401k into an IRA a long time ago.

I wouldn't say any one of those things is a bad idea if they held up the customer service end of the bargain.

The stores used to be clean and efficient with a high level of customer service. Today it feels like a Walmart. That's not a complement.

Do the other stuff. Have at it, but that isn't the core business.

Was your 401k in a Hy-Vee managed account?

 

[KidSilverhair]

Their customer service has turned into a joke. No night stock is also a joke. Lets unload a semi full of groceries, 7 days a week, during business hours while customers are trying to shop. Oh I forgot, the delivery shoppers are also in the way.

This all day long. They’ve actively made the shopping experience worse. Then they wonder why people aren’t happy with Mahomes/Kelce commercials and Wahlburger options.

 

[Tailg8er]

From the video, it sounds like there will be meetings with the abusers coming up soon. I'm guessing there may be a few more job openings in the near future....
Also mentioned they are scoping out a new program for the future. It may not be prefect, but HV is taking the necessary steps it seems.

Yeah, don't waste your time. The crowd here hate everything Hy-Vee, so anything they do remotely controversial is criticized incessantly. I agree there is plenty they do that is dumb/only money motivated, but they're still the best grocery store in Iowa.

On average, they're cleaner and have WAY more selection than any other option in the state. Sure they're slightly more expensive, but not to the degree people here make it seem. It's probably hard to compare, because Fareway doesn't have half the brands Hy-Vee carries. No doubt Fareway is the meat king, though.

 

[NWICY]

Yeah, don't waste your time. The crowd here hate everything Hy-Vee, so anything they do remotely controversial is criticized incessantly. I agree there is plenty they do that is dumb/only money motivated, but they're still the best grocery store in Iowa.

On average, they're cleaner and have WAY more selection than any other option in the state. Sure they're slightly more expensive, but not to the degree people here make it seem. It's probably hard to compare, because Fareway doesn't have half the brands Hy-Vee carries. No doubt Fareway is the meat king, though.

Meh I'll disagree Fareway is #1, for value shoppers Aldi's. As long as you've got money to burn and want bath bombs with your bratwurst Hy-Vee is the place for you.

 

[dirtyninety]

40% of Coca Cola's domestic revenue is from SNAP. Yes, I'm repeating that factoid, but I have no reason to doubt it from what my own eyeballs see.
I wonder what percentage of HyVee's revenue is from SNAP/EBT/Foodstamps? The old one-two non=profit punch: Hunger-Obesity-Hunger-Obesity. Trust your own eyeballs.