Private brands a growing priority for Hy-Vee

At West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee, private brands are growing in importance, said Donna Tweeten, the chain’s executive vice president, chief marketing officer and chief customer officer, in an article in Store Brands’ sister publication Progressive Grocer. 

“Our emphasis will be more and more on control brands and continuing to focus on the quality of the product,” Tweeten told Progressive Grocer, which named Hy-Vee the publication’s 2017 Retailer of the Year. “We’ve got a control label called It’s Your Churn ice cream. It’s as good as anything out there at its level in the category. We have Til the Cows Come Home premium ice cream.”

Other new Hy-Vee store brand lines include Peaceful Piranha (popcorn and other salty snacks) and Gustare Vita (a line of imported Italian foods). The retailer is also placing more emphasis on fresh-prepared food in a variety of formats (grab and go, food court stations, etc.) and on meal kits.

To learn more about why Progressive Grocer chose Hy-Vee as its Retailer of the Year, read this article.