This Beloved Grocery Chain Is Opening Up Stores in 4 New States

Hy-Vee already operates more than 250 grocery stores in the Midwest, but it apparently has plans to expand its footprint in the new year. The beloved supermarket chain is reportedly moving to add at least seven new stores in four new states by 2023.

Hy-Vee CEO Randy Edeker recently unveiled plans to open a new distribution facility and two new stores in the Nashville area, according to a video obtained by The Des Moines Register. Additional locations are also headed to Huntsville, Ala.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Louisville, Ky.; and Memphis, Tenn.

The number of stores in the four new markets for Hy-Vee—Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee—will purportedly grow to at least 21 over the span of four years. (Related: 100 Unhealthiest Foods On the Planet)

"You take a look at this map and you see this massive hub of over 50 cities of over 150,000 that are within five hours of Nashville, Tenn., and that is the strategy that we are starting to think about," Edeker said in the video. "We could open a new distribution facility in Nashville, Tenn., or that vicinity, and then launch a dozen or so stores over the next two years in that market."

The expansion marks the first time the brand will operate outside of the middle of the country, where it services Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. It will also be the first time the chain has opened a new store in a new state since it opened in The Badger State in 2009, per The Des Moines Register.

The report of an expansion comes amid a time of growth for Hy-Vee. Back in September, a brand-new store that looked more like a Costco warehouse opened in Grimes, Iowa. Amenities available in the facility included a Wahlburgers, a nail salon, and even shoes courtesy of DSW. Another new location with a Starbucks, a floral shop, and a bank opened up the same month in Eau Claire, Wisc.

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