How Hy-Vee Squeezed Into Recycled Retail Space

Hy-Vee has taken over a previous Cub Foods storefront in Plymouth, Minn., in what is the retailer's first store in the Minneapolis area that was not built from the ground up. It's also its smallest store in the region, at 56,000 square feet versus approximately 90,000 square feet for its ground-up units.

The move sparked local speculation that Hy-Vee could be a suitor for all of Cub Foods stores, which are being marketed for sale by new owner United Natural Foods, but Randy Edeker, CEO of Hy-Vee, told the Star Tribune that the move into the new store was “not part of a strategy.”

“It came available and so we decided to pursue it,” he said of the Plymouth unit. “I’m not going to put Hy-Vee at risk. ... We’re going to stay on a steady growth plan that’s manageable.”

As such, the retailer has several new stores planned for the Minnesota market in the future. 

Squeezing itself into a smaller-than-usual space forced Hy-Vee to make some changes to its typically vast format. For example, the store will not have segregated floral, baby, pet or Basin personal care sections but will instead have these offerings sprinkled throughout the store. Its wine and spirits shop will be available in an adjacent building that was purchased from another business. 

The bakery is at the front of the store. Windows line the front of the store instead of a customer service area, which is located off to the side of the main entrance. 

The store will include some recently launched features, including its Hibachi Asian grill, as well as common amenities such as a Sweet Shoppe, Hy-Vee Market Grille Express and made-to-order sushi.

The store also boasts a large open dining area, fresh salad bar, full-service pharmacy, in-store dietitian and wellness department, and self-checkout. 

An in-store health clinic is scheduled to open in early 2019.

The store currently has 250 employees, 100 of which are full-time. Hy-Vee said it plans to employ 400 eventually.