Hy-Vee-What's up?

Cyinthenorth

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It takes me 2-3 times longer to shop at Hy-Vee compared to Fareway just due to the size of the stores. I don't like to spend 2 hours shopping for groceries.
They do this on purpose. When I worked there last, the main goal of the store was to really push the online shopping, which coincidentally at the store I worked at (can't speak for every store in the company) was run like a complete **** show.
 

BACyclone

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What's crazy to me is that the linked article says the new Grimes store is *smaller* than the one in Cedar Falls. I assume they mean the one at College Square.

The College Square location was totally remodeled a couple years ago (along with many) to add the Market Grille area and expand the prepared food sections, improved the W&S section.

The W&S section is great. The prepared food sections are solid. The Market Grille is just dumb IMO. But the worst part was they took out maybe 30% of the shelves for food. You know, in a GROCERY STORE. They used to have aisles down nearly the whole length of the store, but they cut a huge swath down the middle of them for freestanding displays. It makes it easier to cut through I guess, but there's a LOT less selection of food on the shelves.

In other words supposedly it's a huge store, but when you are there it feels like a grocery store half its size with a lot of creature comfort items around the perimeter.

The Wine & Spirits section is about the only reason I go to Hy-Vee any more -- and maybe 1 or 2 grocery items I like that I can't find anywhere else.

I can't believe they built a new store and put a fitness equipment display section with it. I mean, I can believe it, but it's just so ridiculously stupid. It will be gone within a year, if they have brains.
 

CYdTracked

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I would love to have a few glasses of scotch with Ron Pearson and ask him what he thinks of Randy Edeker. He has absolutely ran HyVee into the ground and they have lost their identity that made them a successful store. I know one of the former executives and I can tell you that Edeker is NOT well liked or respected among the old timers...

I loved Ron, he didn't care if you were some part time person at a store or a big wig at corporate office he treated you the same and took time to small talk with you regardless of the situation. Everyone in the store knew when he was in to shop on the weekend as he would pretty much talk to anyone he came in contact with and this may sound strange but even if you were an intern taking a pee in the bathroom at the corporate office he would make a point to say hi and ask you how your day was going. My brother worked at DMGCC and said everyone there loved Ron too and he would treat their staff well and take the time to talk to them whenever he was there. I've met Ric Jurgens before too and while he wasn't exactly a clone of Ron he still was very down to earth guy I thought and ran things similar to what Ron did.

I've been far removed from the Hy-Vee scene since I found my full time job after college in 2003 so can't say how things are there now but the 5 years I worked at various level there both in the store and corporate office they had some great people working there that actually cared about you and were great to work with. My main manager at the store I worked at the longest made sure I was always welcomed back to pick up as many hours as I could during breaks and summers at college and my managers at the corporate office I interned under did the same along with giving me a nice "stop gap" 40 hour part time job between graduating ISU and landing a full time job. Heck the meat manager I worked with at the store is still there and still gives me some deals on meat once in awhile. I was buying a whole pork loin to smoke this summer and was chatting with him and he saw it in my cart. "Give me that, those are on sale next week so I will just give you the sale price on it today." Just little things like that make the difference to me, there are some good people that have made a career out of working the stores that do the little things that go unnoticed that probably keep people coming back to shop there.
 

CYdTracked

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What's crazy to me is that the linked article says the new Grimes store is *smaller* than the one in Cedar Falls. I assume they mean the one at College Square.

I had heard that the Grimes one is the 3rd largest one in the chain. It definitely looks bigger from the outside than the Urbandale store and that is the largest one in the DM Metro I believe.
 

Sighclone Fan

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I recently moved near a Hyvee in Minnesota and it's awesome. I love the smaller size (compared to a Cub foods) and the selection seems great. I always thought the Hyvees in Ames back in the late 2000s were a dump. Reminded me of Cub foods but worse. Maybe they have updated since then. But anyways, just wanted to say I am a Hyvee fan. At least the one near me.
 

AgronAlum

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I drove through the lot last night on my way to Culvers and they had a HyChi food truck out front so I would guess they will have some of their own Hy-Vee brand options along with some other food trucks. Have to realize they are new to the Grimes community so its makes perfect sense to play nice with the local food trucks and offer them a chance to participate in the event.

That being said I need to check out the new Mema's brick and mortar store soon. Love that food truck and glad they opened up an actual store now in town. Example of how if you do things right and have a good product you can expand your business to more than just a food truck.

Is the brick and mortar open now? Ill probably hit it up for lunch today.
 

Pat

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I recently moved near a Hyvee in Minnesota and it's awesome. I love the smaller size (compared to a Cub foods) and the selection seems great. I always thought the Hyvees in Ames back in the late 2000s were a dump. Reminded me of Cub foods but worse. Maybe they have updated since then. But anyways, just wanted to say I am a Hyvee fan. At least the one near me.

Both Ames stores have been refreshed. That Cub, based in the interior, could have just as well been in Afghanistan as Ames.
 
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CySmurf

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Wow, this almost mirrors my views. I worked there for 2 years in high school, 4 years of college, and 2 years after college.

The customer service they are now providing is embarrassing. I'm sure I'm extra critical since I've worked there but right now it's just barely better than Wal-Mart.
I think that depends on the store IMO. In the Mt Vernon Road Hy Vee in Cedar Rapids, the managers and employees seem to go out of there way to help you. They just rearranged their store and have installed about 10 self checkouts...so customers have had plenty to churp about for sure though.
 

BillBrasky4Cy

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I think that depends on the store IMO. In the Mt Vernon Road Hy Vee in Cedar Rapids, the managers and employees seem to go out of there way to help you. They just rearranged their store and have installed about 10 self checkouts...so customers have had plenty to churp about for sure though.

I can't tell you the last time I've seen a manager on the floor at the WDM Mills Civic HyVee.
 

BillBrasky4Cy

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Also, out in rural Iowa there are a lot of stores that don't even have an instore maanager. Hyvee has comsolidated that position to oversee multiple stores in the area. Ever since they did this customer service has went to hell.
 

baller21

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They sure as hell don't use it to pay their employees a decent wage. Here in Dubuque you see many businesses with signs in the windows advertising starting wage of 13-15 bucks an hour, but Hy-Vee is still starting folks off at 10. One of the stores in town is so desperate for help they hold open interviews several days a week. From my experience in management, they aren't paid very well either until you reach a certain level, and how to reach that level is a complete guessing game, because no clear path or mentorship program exists. A nice grocery store, but a complete joke of a company if you ask me.

Around here they pay better than $10 hr. Maybe Dubuque just sucks. BFCF3A7A-5DB9-4C4A-A60D-DA3AB703E4AD.jpeg
 
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NickTheGreat

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The current, thinly veiled husker football "Our House" version is a definite puker. HyVee heads should roll.

I still have PTSD from growing up in Western Iowa in the 90's, but Huskers is the first thing I thought in that commerical
 

MJ29

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I still have PTSD from growing up in Western Iowa in the 90's, but Huskers is the first thing I thought in that commerical
I assumed they went with red and white bc those are HyVee's colors, but it certainly does strike Husker notes.
 

KnappShack

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I think that depends on the store IMO. In the Mt Vernon Road Hy Vee in Cedar Rapids, the managers and employees seem to go out of there way to help you. They just rearranged their store and have installed about 10 self checkouts...so customers have had plenty to churp about for sure though.

Way back in the day the WDM Hy-Vee had employees grab umbrellas and walk customers to their car.

You could buy a suit there and get a home loan. Mail a letter or eat some average Chinese food.

But last time I went (special trip for potato chips) workers seemed nice enough, but I had to scan and bag my stuff. They've done away with drive up service too.

If I didn't hate Aldi so goddam much I'd probably stay away from Hy-Vee now.
 
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