Hy-Vee Opens New Illinois Store, Plans More
Iowa-based Hy-Vee Inc. opened its 230th store last week, a 24-hour supermarket in the Sheridan Village shopping center in Peoria, Ill.
The 84,000-square-foot supermarket is the first in Peoria and 13th in the Prairie State for West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee, which recently revealed plans to build a store in the Sycamore/DeKalb market, about 65 miles west of Chicago.
The new Peoria Hy-Vee represents an investment of more than $17 million and the addition of more than 450 jobs to the economically struggling central Illinois city. The store director, Dan Simon, and some of the department heads transferred to Peoria from other Hy-Vee locations, but the majority of the new positions have been filled by area residents, according to the company’s Web site.
Hy-Vee said the new store reflects the company’s emphasis on freshness, convenience and a whole-health approach to providing products and services for today’s lifestyles. The location features a large food court offering a variety of meals prepared fresh in the store, including fried chicken, meat loaf, ethnic entrees, deli sandwiches, a soup and salad bar, and fresh sushi. Customers can eat in the casual dining area, order hot foods for takeout, or pick up packaged meals to go. Freshness also is evident in the expansive departments dedicated to produce, bakery, meat and seafood products.
The HealthMarket, a store-within-a-store for natural and organic products, includes a large selection of gluten-free items and other foods for those with special dietary needs. Hy-Vee said its commitment to health and wellness is can also be seen in the pharmacy department and the services of an in-store dietitian.
The Peoria location additionally features a Hy-Vee Club room. Outfitted with tables, chairs and a full kitchen, the room will be used for cooking classes, educational programs, wine tastings and other special events, and can be rented by outside groups for meetings, parties and receptions.
Other amenities include a Caribou Coffee outlet, a floral shop with delivery service, a wine and spirits store, a sport shop carrying local high school and Bradley University apparel, and a host of services such as UPS, Western Union, dry cleaning and photo developing.
Among its 50,000 SKUs, the store carries more than 300 items locally grown or produced in the Peoria area, the company said.
Hy-Vee is an employee-owned corporation operating 230 retail stores in eight Midwestern states.