Aspen Creek - Gretna HyVee (NEC 192 & 370)

[BRoss]

Oh wow, that looks way different than other stores. Almost thought that was a high school.

[Greg S]

Oh wow, that looks way different than other stores. Almost thought that was a high school.

Good call, that does look like a high school.

[djc311]

Holy |expletive| that’s huge! Makes the store on 180th & Q look like a Fareway

[nebugeater]

Holy |expletive| that’s huge! Makes the store on 180th & Q look like a Fareway

Dont have data to back it up, but it has been stated in multiple places that it is the largest store in Nebraska.

Part of that has to be the back NW corner that has the incorporated drive-up for grocery pickup. I would assume that there is a good amount of Sq Ft dedicated to it inside.

[Gangdalf]

Looks like RocketWash have started working on their construction too. Hoping for some good restaurants apart from Culvers to go in there now that there's going to be a lot of foot/vehicle traffic there considering gas station/grocery and carwash would be there.

[djc311]

Looks like RocketWash have started working on their construction too. Hoping for some good restaurants apart from Culvers to go in there now that there's going to be a lot of foot/vehicle traffic there considering gas station/grocery and carwash would be there.

I agree - I hope some nice variety of things!

Still shocked they're putting in a dedicated Wahlburger's in the HyVee after I read they're closing them in other stores. Hopefully it works out.

[Raraavis]

Hy-Vee’s current plan is to mostly only build mega stores like this one in Gretna. That is why the canceled a couple planned stores in Minnesota. They are expanding to Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville and planning for stores in Kentucky and Alabama as well. They plan to just build 4 or 5 megastores in these large cities.

Their current track record with their new innovations isn’t great. Their core business is very solid but they are burning money with all their attempts to become a new type of Grocery Store. Time will tell if their megastores are going to be successful.

[ProgKingHughesker]

Is 180th and Pacific the only store in the metro with a clothing department?

[damonhynes]

Is 180th and Pacific the only store in the metro with a clothing department?

I believe Stony Brook has, I know they had at one time.

[nebugeater]

Got this mass mailing on Friday that states the Gretna HyVee will open in June. Could be June 1 or June 30, or anywhere in between. There is a stated target now, though.

[djc311]

Got this mass mailing on Friday that states the Gretna HyVee will open in June. Could be June 1 or June 30, or anywhere in between. There is a stated target now, though.

Received the same notice in the mail. Surprised they're that close, although I haven't driven by the new location in the past several months. The whole Wahlburger's thing is still pretty surprising to me since they've shut down other stores within HyVees.

I have a feeling that area between 168th & 370 and 204th and 370 will blow up.

I'd also like to know what will drop between 204th and Giles to 204th and Center St. A lot is going on in that area as well.

[nebugeater]

Got this mass mailing on Friday that states the Gretna HyVee will open in June. Could be June 1 or June 30, or anywhere in between. There is a stated target now, though.

Received the same notice in the mail. Surprised they're that close, although I haven't driven by the new location in the past several months. The whole Wahlburger's thing is still pretty surprising to me since they've shut down other stores within HyVees.

I have a feeling that area between 168th & 370 and 204th and 370 will blow up.

I'd also like to know what will drop between 204th and Giles to 204th and Center St. A lot is going on in that area as well.

I have driven by, including driving through the parking lot on the weekend a week ago. The date doesn't surprise me at all from what you can see up close and through the windows.

Wahlburgers is a surprise and disappointment for me too. I guess they must have some contract requirements for some new stores that they cannot or cannot afford to get out of. I have tried the concept a few times and am done with it. Too bad because we do enjoy eating at HyVee on occasion, and this close location will not be an option.

( Bring back the Salad bar! )

[ChadJK]

They also have a flyer hanging up at Gretna High School advertising jobs available.

Address listed as 10855 S 191st St, Gretna, NE 68136 and telephone is (531) 239-3850.

Hy-Vee has a webpage up for it too:
https://www.hy-vee.com/stores/detail.aspx?s=5330

[ChadJK]

There's a sign in the window saying they open June 13th.

[djc311]

There's a sign in the window saying they open June 13th.

Place will probably be a zoo when it first opens, which is weird since they're not likely to have several "amazing" deals (I mean, it's Hy-Vee so prices are never great).

I am looking forward to it opening, however for the next year or so it's going to suck getting there because 192nd is closed from Giles to 370. You'd need to take 180th over or go up to 204th. My personal opinion of the new 180th road is not great, the roundabouts they put in are confusing, especially when you reach the new Gretna high school opening in the fall. I've seen a lot of people take the roundabout right into the school parking lot rather than follow it so you continue heading south on 180th.

[Brad]

This Saturday Night, June 10th, this new HyVee is have a 10 min Drone Show followed by at 15 min Fireworks show.

[Coyote]

Hy-Vee set to open largest, most innovative store in Gretna this week



GRETNA, Neb. — For years, the fast-growing Gretna area has wanted another grocery store. They finally got it. Tuesday, Hy-Vee will open its largest and most innovative store in its chain at 10855 S 191st St. On Monday, the grocery giant that has 307 locations in eight states gave us a sneak peek of its new 135,000-square-foot store. Hy-Vee District Store Director Brandon Lampkin said that's nearly twice the size of most stores in the area. "So this is the largest store in the company now, and we excited about that, yes," Lampkin said. "It's grocery reimagined in a way that they're going to be shocked to see when they walk inside," Lampkin said.

[Greg S]

It will be interesting to see this store in a few years. As we've mentioned in other threads, Hy Vee at times has lost it's way and gone in directions that seemingly don't make sense and then has to change course.

The last Hy Vee store I remember getting this much hype was the one they opened at Oak View in the very early 90's (it's now closed). It was billed as having all sorts of bells and whistles that other Hy Vee's did not have. One of particular note was right in the middle of the store, they had a Taco Bell Express. I don't think it last more than a year or so inside the store.

I think the location of this one is obviously great with the growth of Gretna vs the traffic nightmare that was Oak View Dr in the malls heyday. I don't expect this one will fail either. It will just be interesting to see what it's like in a few years.

Greg

[djc311]

If the store director they had at 180th & Q could keep that location going (even though they'd often run out of products and had high prices), then I suppose he will be able to do the same thing at this new location (it's the same guy).

I shop HyVee mainly because of the convenience of where it's located. Unfortunately that means I have to accept the tradeoff of awful prices for things I could get for considerably less elsewhere. Case in point - now that I have to go into the office twice a week I take quick cook meals (fancy description for frozen tv dinners) for lunch. Before work this morning I pulled up to the HyVee app to see if they had what I was looking for. First thing I noticed was their price on the app was $3.69 for this particular item. When I got into the store, the shelf price was actually $3.48. Therefore you're paying a "convenience fee" I guess by utilizing their online shopping tool, whether you're doing a store pickup or delivery.

For the fun of it I checked WalMart (which I despise) to see what they sold the item for. Unfortunately they didn't have the particular flavor I wanted, so I didn't have the option to get it from WalMart even if I wanted to. However, their price online was $2.42 for the same basic thing (in other flavors that HyVee did sell).

So you're paying 6% more if you buy it on HyVee's website vs. going into the store in this case. And, you're paying about 30% more than a competitor a couple of miles down the road. Guess I don't have anyone to blame but myself, LOL. But I can tell you there isn't a "smile in every aisle" and if I go through self checkout I bag my own groceries at HyVee, too.

I'm wondering (or probably more hoping for) HyVee to maybe drop some prices a little at their 180th & Q location now that the Gretna store is open. There is some logic behind this because it's common sense the new store will cannibalize customers from the Q St. location. Therefore if they don't want to steal every customer then they may decide to drop prices on some items. This can be seen when comparing their pricing on the same items at 180th & Pacific. I've noticed the Pacific St store has lower prices than Q St on some things. I imagine it's due to the competition that's in closer proximity to Pacific St (if you head south on 180th at Center you have WalMart, Target and Baker's, plus Natural Grocers if you want to toss them in there).

It's probably wishful thinking - but if customers get tired of the expense and realize they're really not buying better products, then why pay more? I would think HWY 370 will attract another big box store that sells food at some point...

[Coyote]

Hy-Vee celebrates opening its new flagship store in Gretna



In Gretna, the largest Hy-Vee in the company's chain is now open. The company calls this new store — which is about the size of two normal Hy-Vee's combined — "grocery reimagined." The store, which is near S. 191st Street and Highway 370, is a massive 135,000 square feet. It's so huge you actually need a directory.

[nativeomahan]

From my experience Hy-Vee consistently has the highest prices of any major grocer in the metro, except maybe Whole Foods. Their larger stores do often offer the deepest selection of products, so sometimes it’s worth it for me to shop at those stores for otherwise hard to find items.
So…it will be interesting to verify whether in fact this much larger store will stock items of interest that smaller grocery stores don’t/won’t/can’t carry. It’s probably 15 miles from my home so I don’t see me visiting it more than maybe once or twice a year.

[Greg S]

From my experience Hy-Vee consistently has the highest prices of any major grocer in the metro, except maybe Whole Foods. Their larger stores do often offer the deepest selection of products, so sometimes it’s worth it for me to shop at those stores for otherwise hard to find items.
So…it will be interesting to verify whether in fact this much larger store will stock items of interest that smaller grocery stores don’t/won’t/can’t carry. It’s probably 15 miles from my home so I don’t see me visiting it more than maybe once or twice a year.

It looks like a lot of the extra space is going to non grocery items (which Hy Vee seems to struggle with).

Totally agree on prices. We have a real nice one by us (156th and Maple) and it's the most expensive groceries in the area. I used to go there more (mainly for meat) but since Fareway opened in the area, I get that from them (and they are cheaper as well). Hy Vee is very convenient to me but I shop there fewer now than at any time since they opened. They will have much less competition than what they currently face at my location and others in Omaha.

Greg

[skinzfan23]

We should just be thankful that we do have other alternatives. My mother-in-law lives in Cedar Rapids, IA and they pretty much only have Hyvee, Walmart and Aldi. There is no Bakers, Family Fare, Super Saver, Trader Joes, Whole Foods. Competition is a good thing for consumers.

I used to shop at HyVee but since there isn't one in Bellevue I had to drive to Shadow Lake and get charged those high prices. So glad I started going to Bakers, much better prices, especially with Kroger products, and the produce is far and away better than HyVee (both price and quality)

[djc311]

I’m guess (and hoping) that this is simply due to the new store opening, but I had to grab a couple things at 180th & Q tonight and it looked like a ghost town. I don’t mind if the customer traffic isn’t heavy, but it looked like all of their employees were gone. I’ve been going to that store since it opened and they must have moved all of their experienced staff over to Gretna.

Anyone know why they pulled all of their CHI Quick Care Clinics out of their stores? One of the pharmacists told me it was happening to all hyvees. If this is true I would think the new Gretna store doesn’t have one. They also pulled the First National Bank out of the Q St store a couple of years ago. I would think both of those would provide additional lease income with little to no cost to hyvee.

[ricko]

I just got back from Wegman’s, a massive grocery store based out of upstate NY, and the store in the news clip above is almost identical——same food court/amenities, massive produce and cheese section, etc.. I only went because they carry a wine I can’t find anywhere else. These mega-stores are great when it comes to selection, but you end up spending a lot of time (and $) filling your cart; lots of walking. Sometimes I just want to get in and out when I do my grocery shopping. I’m wondering if Gretna is big enough to support a store that size, but hey, good for them.

[nebport5]

It's interesting how many of you think of Hy-Vee as expensive. Historically I never thought so...is this a post CO-VID thing? Food prices everywhere have increased substantially the past two years. I'm also guessing that those in the Hy-Vee=expensive camp do not shop much at Whole Foods? There's a reason it's called "Whole Paycheck". However, I'd bet Wohlner's, is the highest overall in the metro.

Some things to consider in this conversation is what you are buying at which stores. For example, while Whole Foods is generally expensive their produce will not be nearly as expensive as Natural Grocers whose produce is all organic. On the other hand, there are many other products that Natty G's carries that are significantly less than Whole Foods.

Another unfortunate fact is that supporting local is typically going to be more expensive. Personally, I'd much rather spend more on something at Wohlner's than support the evil that is Walmart. That and I don't buy processed foods(which dominates their selection)...and frankly Walmart is such a disgusting place even the thought of buying produce there is unappetizing. I'm admittedly a food snob, so I'm willing to go to multiple grocery stores to get what I want in both price and quality. I imagine "normal" people buy groceries based upon what's convenient or where than can mostly get what they need at one store.

Returning to the point, expensive can be more relative to the item than just the store. I'd bet if you shop around you may find Hy-Vee may also have a number of items priced below their competition. And expensive or not I bet the Gretna Hy-Vee will do very well.

[Garrett]

Maybe this is just an NYC aberration, but Whole Foods tends to be one of the cheapest grocery stores here, especially for certain items/if you shop their brands. I’ve compared to prices with stores in Omaha and it’s usually more comparable than you’d expect

[almighty_tuna]

This thread makes me miss Fresh Thyme more than I already did.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Maybe this is just an NYC aberration, but Whole Foods tends to be one of the cheapest grocery stores here, especially for certain items/if you shop their brands. I’ve compared to prices with stores in Omaha and it’s usually more comparable than you’d expect

I remember hearing after Amazon bought them that they have lowered prices to try to get away from being known as “Whole Paycheck.” There’s one by our house in St. Louis and I have found they are generally pretty competitive.

[djc311]

It's interesting how many of you think of Hy-Vee as expensive. Historically I never thought so...is this a post CO-VID thing? Food prices everywhere have increased substantially the past two years. I'm also guessing that those in the Hy-Vee=expensive camp do not shop much at Whole Foods? There's a reason it's called "Whole Paycheck". However, I'd bet Wohlner's, is the highest overall in the metro.

Some things to consider in this conversation is what you are buying at which stores. For example, while Whole Foods is generally expensive their produce will not be nearly as expensive as Natural Grocers whose produce is all organic. On the other hand, there are many other products that Natty G's carries that are significantly less than Whole Foods.

Another unfortunate fact is that supporting local is typically going to be more expensive. Personally, I'd much rather spend more on something at Wohlner's than support the evil that is Walmart. That and I don't buy processed foods(which dominates their selection)...and frankly Walmart is such a disgusting place even the thought of buying produce there is unappetizing. I'm admittedly a food snob, so I'm willing to go to multiple grocery stores to get what I want in both price and quality. I imagine "normal" people buy groceries based upon what's convenient or where than can mostly get what they need at one store.

Returning to the point, expensive can be more relative to the item than just the store. I'd bet if you shop around you may find Hy-Vee may also have a number of items priced below their competition. And expensive or not I bet the Gretna Hy-Vee will do very well.

Unfortunately we're a family of processed-food consumers (ie, we eat Lays potato chips, Kelloggs cereal, etc). Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, and other similar stores tend to not offer these products so we don't normally shop there (produce and meat are occasionally an exception).

With that being said when I was in HyVee recently they had an end cap of Lays chips that were advertised as on sale for $5.99/bag. Without a sale price these are around $4.29 at a place like WalMart. I've never gone up to a manager at HyVee and asked them about their pricing - my hunch would be they'd say it's either because their staff are better-trained, more helpful, a better shopping experience, etc. Or, they may say HyVee has "x" number of stores vs. WalMart with "100x" stores, therefore they get better prices on their goods.

[nebugeater]

I stopped at the New Hyvee last night around 6:00 PM. The size of this store is hard to get your head around until you are in there. Heard it said that is about twice the size of any other HyVees, and I will believe that.

Liked the layout. Sure, there is more area for none food items, but there sure seemed to be more food items too and not just larger stock of any single item.

There were a lot of people there, and the parking lot was full. The size absorbed the people so it was not a crowded feel at all. Bought a few things and walked right up to a self-checkout without any wait.

There is a higher % of self-checkout than other HyVee's

All of the shelf tagging for prices are digital. The look was made to emulate the paper tags that are in all the other stores I have seen.

We normally have been regulars at the 180th & Q location, and there were a lot of familiar faces from their work. I will assume that that was part of the opening staff shift and that a number will be back at the other store in time.

The Fairway store in Gretna had a noticeably smaller number of cars in the lot each time I drove by but that is to be expected yesterday and probably for a while. I would expect that they will both find their balance in time.

We do a fair amount of shopping at HyVee, and I do not feel the prices are over the top compared to the commotion. Some of these are higher, and some are lower. We do like all of the in-store brands that HyVee offers (except for Katchup!)

There were what appeared to be likely every Hi Up person from HyVee corp roaming the store.

No matter what - Welcome to Gretna!

[Coyote]

Hy-Vee Unveils Largest Store to Date in Nebraska
Latest location welcomes shoppers in Gretna

Hy-Vee went big on its latest store, now open in Gretna, Neb. The Iowa-based grocer’s new outpost – the largest in its operation – spans 135,000 square feet on a property that includes an adjacent Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh convenience store and a 6,300-square-foot dedicated delivery and pickup service center.



Hy-Vee invested $37 million to build, furnish and stock the store, which is just west of Omaha. Befitting its size, the location features a wide product assortment and a variety of foodservice-at-retail destinations, including an open food hall for fast-casual dining, sit-down pub, outdoor patio and onsite Starbucks. Shoppers can also get more errands accomplished during their shopping journey at the expanded floral and gifts department, in-store pharmacy with outdoor drive-up service, a Pair Eyeware kiosk, expansive beauty department, dedicated Candy Shoppe with premium and nostalgic goodies and a wine and spirits department complete with a walk-in beer cooler, walk-in humidor and walk-in wine room. Dry cleaning and postal services are available as well.

The Gretna store at 10855 S. 191 Street will be open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

[ChadJK]

This will be my regular Hy-Vee when the hype wears down (At the end of the day, it's just another Hy-Vee, people. Relax.)

It will be interesting to see what effect the pharmacy has. Gretna has only had the one (U Save - I don't count Walmart way over at 156th), so we'll see how well they handle some competition.

[djc311]

This will be my regular Hy-Vee when the hype wears down (At the end of the day, it's just another Hy-Vee, people. Relax.)

It will be interesting to see what effect the pharmacy has. Gretna has only had the one (U Save - I don't count Walmart way over at 156th), so we'll see how well they handle some competition.

I'm wondering if they hijacked the experienced pharmacists from the HyVee I go to on 180th. They pulled all of their photos down from the waiting area and I haven't seen any of the regular faces behind the counter there in months.

Does HyVee deliver pharmacy prescriptions to homes? I can tell you the pharmacy at the Q St store is terrible as far as service goes. Obviously due to the above and the lack of experienced pharmacists, but the lines are awful. The drive up window often has 5+ cars waiting and due to the configuration of the parking lot these cars backup ppl trying to find regular parking spaces.

On some days they actually don't even open the drive thru window - instead they toss up a sign that says "due to staffing the drive thru isn't open today".

[skinzfan23]

I comparison shop all the time and with the exception of sale priced items, Hyvee is more expensive 9 out of 10 times on any and everything. Not to mention, I have been to several locations and their produce is really lacking. They have a decent selection, but I have found mold numerous times on berries as well.

Take cereal for instance, the price at Hyvee is usually somewhere between $4-5 for an average brand name box. At Bakers, there are a few that might be that high but they are more in the $3-4 range. When feeding a family of 5, those 15-25% markups add up in a hurry.

[ChadJK]

Hy-Vee, like Target, exists for people willing to spend 5-20% more to NOT shop at Walmart. The "anywhere but Walmart" crowd is a faithful clientele with deep pockets. lol Baker's would be a nice option to have in Gretna, but Kroger/Dillons/Baker's doesn't seem all that interested in expansion.

I suppose grocery retail isn't much different than other retail. How many people spend more for the same product just so they can buy it at the trendy store in the trendy shopping plaza? Some people just really like being in the shiny new store even if it costs more.

[nativeomahan]

This thread makes me miss Fresh Thyme more than I already did.

Absolutely right on that point. We shopped there at least twice a month.

[djc311]

This thread makes me miss Fresh Thyme more than I already did.

Absolutely right on that point. We shopped there at least twice a month.

That was the short-lived place on Center behind Panda Express, yes? I never made it in there. Location in the city was good I think - the parking lot and layout/location of that exact store wasn't great. Did it even make it 3-4 years?

And to no surprise nothing has come in to take over the space since being vacated. I'm sure it's $$$$$$ rent and location that kill(ed) that place.

[nativeomahan]

Being retired, I have more time than most for grocery shopping, and I often hit both ALDI and Bakers at least once a week, each. My trips to Hy-Vee are less frequent despite it being closer to my home than either ALDI or Bakers. My nearest Hy-Vee at 90th and W. Center Rd. is pretty small, and doesn’t have near the selection as the chain’s larger stores.
Typically when I need to go grocery shopping “for dinner tonight” I hit Bakers, unless Hy-Vee is running a teaser sale that makes it worth shopping there. They do have great precooked smoked ribs, and when they are on sale they make a fantastic dinner for two, with extra left over for a lunch. They also carry a few basic items we enjoy that Bakers/Kroger just does not carry. (Of course Bakers also carries items that Hy-Vee doesn’t.). Items at ALDI are very seasonal. Their Irish sausage is superb, but you will only find them in March, and their summer pasta salads and chipotle sliced cheese are fantastic, and unique in the Omaha market, but they are only sold during summer months.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

I feel like the answer to a lot of the issues expressed here about Hy-Vee, besides the convenience of Hy-Vees being everywhere, is Trader Joe's. Excellent food, lots of grab and go options, fun store with lovely employees. They mostly have store brand products, but they're delicious.