Meijer Taps Into the Gig Economy

1/24/2020

According to Meijer, the Hyer platform and app allow it to have the right number of gig workers for its needs

Meijer Inc. is deploying the Hyer platform/app across its 246-store footprint and its Serv-U-Success distribution operation to link gig workers with identified tasks on demand.

Using the app, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer aims to support its workforce needs in real time, ensuring that it can meet consumer demand. The Hyer platform was designed to provide organizations and individuals with a unified, simple way to locate, engage and manage independent work.

“Hyer is the first integrated, scalable ecosystem for labor on demand in the gig economy,” noted Dave Dempsey, CEO of Rye, N.Y.-based Hyer. “While there are several labor on-demand apps in today’s marketplace, Hyer’s robust app enables Meijer to manage multiple tasks in a single mobile application.”

According to a recent report from Troy, Mich.-based staffing services company Kelly Services, nearly one-third of the worldwide workforce is employed by the gig economy.

“Customer experience is always top of mind at Meijer, because as Fred Meijer once said, ‘Our customers don’t need us, we need them,’” said Mike Graham, the company’s SVP of supply chain and manufacturing. “There are many responsibilities at the store level that can be fulfilled quickly and easily by individuals looking for flexible work arrangements. Hyer allows us to secure labor on demand through a large, independent workforce that is ready and qualified.”

Since implementing the Hyer platform, Meijer said that it has been better able to manage the volatility of demand by having the right number of resources to match its needs.

“Across the system, the user experience is fast and simplifies the overall resource management at store level, saving us time and increasing efficiency, while simultaneously improving the customer experience,” observed Todd Weer, Meijer’s SVP of stores. “We’re excited to fully put this app to work for us.”

Meijer operates more than 240 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The company is No. 7 on PG's 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.