Grocery Chain Hy-Vee Sets Sights on U.S. Expansion

Regional grocer Hy-Vee (West Des Moines, Iowa) will soon expand its footprint, reports the Des Moines Register. The chain will expand into four new states, opening 20-plus new stores in the next four years, plus build a new distribution center in Nashville.

In a video obtained by the newspaper, Hy-Vee CEO Randy Edeker announces plans to build the Nashville D.C., which will serve seven new stores in Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky in 2023. In Tennessee, Edeker says the chain will open two stores in the Nashville metro area, one in Knoxville and one in Memphis. Also in the works are new stores in Huntsville, Ala.; Louisville, Ky.; and Indianapolis, Ind.

“This is the growth for the next 25 years for Hy-Vee in this territory,” Edeker said on the video. “If we can build out 50 stores in this market, we estimate that is $6 billion [in sales]. But overnight we’re going to go from a regional company to a national company. As we build our third DC [distribution center] in the Nashville market you will see us turn more into a national presence.”