Hy-Vee to Open 6 More Dollar Fresh Stores

At least six onetime Shopko locations in Iowa will reopen under Hy-Vee’s Dollar Fresh banner, according to published reports.

The Midwestern grocer has revealed agreements to purchase Shopko buildings in Cresco, Dyersville, Hampton, Oelwein, Vinton and Waukon, Iowa, the Des Moines Register reported, adding that Hy-Vee plans to open the rebannered stores by late summer, following renovations. The sale terms weren’t disclosed.

Ashwaubenon, Wis.-based retail store chain Shopko filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2019, due to what it described as “excess debt” and a “challenging retail environment,” according to the newspaper. Two months later, Shopko said that it would liquidate its remaining stores, because it hadn’t been able to find a purchaser.

Hy-Vee has already introduced the Dollar Fresh concept, with its focus on fresh food, high quality and low prices, in Centerville, Creston, Emmetsburg, Osceola and Toledo, Iowa, in addition to West Point, Neb.

Employee-owned Hy-Vee operates more than 260 stores across eight Midwestern states. The West Des Moines, Iowa-based company is No. 12 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 list of the top grocers in the United States.