Northwest Iowa — There are some changes being implemented at Hy-Vee. And some of those changes will affect the northwest Iowa stores in Sheldon and Sioux Center.
According to Hy-Vee’s Senior Vice President for Communications, Tina Potthoff, Hy-Vee recently initiated a major companywide effort called Helpful Smile 2020, with the goal of keeping Hy-Vee the best place to work and shop in America. Potthoff says, “Since the opening of our first store in Beaconsfield, Iowa, we have a proud history of innovating to meet the needs of our customers. Today, the retail grocery industry continues to evolve and be incredibly competitive. Therefore, our local stores are making some changes to become more efficient while continuing to elevate our customers’ experience.”
Potthoff says Hy-Vee is strengthening its training and succession planning within the Store Management career path. She says some of their Store Directors will now be known as District Store Directors and will oversee several stores as well as mentor Store Managers. With this change, some Store Directors will become Store Managers. The Store Manager position will help better prepare those who want to become Store Directors/District Store Directors in the future. The Store Manager will also have oversight of the day-to-day operations at his/her store. This is part of our effort to remain the best place to build a career in retail and ensure all Store Directors have the training they need before being selected for the role.
In northwest Iowa, that means that the store director in Sioux Center has become a store manager, and Sheldon’s store director, Josh Osborn is now a district store director in charge of both the Sheldon and Sioux Center stores, according to Hy-Vee officials.
Potthoff says that the decision to no longer remain open 24 hours a day and move their business hours to align with consumer shopping trends created an opportunity to reorganize both their overnight and daytime stocking procedures. She says that will make a difference to customers as the majority of the stocking will be done during times when customers are not shopping, helping to keep the aisles clear of clutter so customers can have a more pleasant shopping experience.
Potthoff says, “This move also allowed us to reevaluate how we operate our stores so that we can become more efficient. Because of this, store directors [are] making staffing changes over the upcoming weeks – which could include promotions, reallocations, or reductions – to reflect the needs of their individual store.”
When asked about specific numbers of employees that may be affected in Sheldon and Sioux Center, both local Hy-Vee officials and Hy-Vee corporate officials declined to comment.
