Future metro Hy-Vees won't be as big as Shakopee's behemoth

Shakopee Valley News

The Hy-Vee in Shakopee, which opens Tuesday, will be the second largest of all the franchises and the largest in the Twin Cities at nearly 103,000 square feet.

The Shakopee store and others across the Twin Cities metro — such as Robbinsdale, Farmington, Maple Grove, Columbia Heights and Chaska — that are already planned might be some of the last for awhile with that kind of size as the industry is moving to smaller, convenience-store type locations, Hy-Vee CEO Randy Edeker said.

“You’re seeing a huge focus on alternative formats and small-store growth in our industry,” Edeker said. “Our stores are still doing amazing but you’re building a store for 25, 30 years not for two or three.”

The company is not stepping back, just investing in different areas and concepts, Edeker said.

This includes planned automated fulfillment centers in Minneapolis, Kansas City and Omaha.

“It might look like we’re not focused on the Twin Cities — we are,” Edeker said. “It’s just in different directions right now than maybe we thought it would be when we started. We just want to make sure we’re building the right thing for the consumers of the future.”

In the larger stores, it’s about expanding offerings. For instance, the Shakopee location will carry products from bath and beauty store Basin as well as clothing from F&F. In addition to the grocery and fresh produce sections, the store will have a full-service restaurant with a bar, multiple food stops and a 150-seat dining area.

“The other thing we’ve been expanding in all our new stores is the health and beauty concepts with making sure we have a makeup artist and making sure that if literally you wanted to come here and have your makeup done for your wedding, you could come here and have it done,” Hy-Vee Communications Vice President Tina Pothoff said.

The Shakopee store will also feature a baby product section and pet center.

Though the focus is shifting to smaller stores, Shakopee is the perfect location for a larger store, Edeker said.

“We think this a great town,” Edeker said. “We’re not trying to take over Minneapolis. We’re trying to go into one town at a time and find places where we fit and we think we can be very successful. It’s just a great market.”

Also opening near the Shakopee are a St. Francis Express Clinic, Starbucks, Orangetheory Fitness and more. It cost $29.4 million to build, furnish and stock the store with about 57,000 items.

The grand opening comes a year and five days after the start of construction. Fresh produce and baked goods are the only thing left to be set and will be done after the weekend.

“We’re so excited to be here and we’re anxious to let the customers come in and finally see what we’ve been working so hard at,” Store Director Zach Shank said.

The store opens at 6 a.m. Tuesday, with a ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m.