Five ways your grocery shopping will look different in 2021

You probably did at least some, if not all, of your grocery shopping online last year.

And while the end of the pandemic, which pushed retailers to find creative ways to sell products to customers who didn’t want to interact in person, is in sight, the era of curbside pickup appears to be here to stay.

At Hy-Vee, curbside pickup and delivery are part of the new normal, and we caught up with some local and regional executives with the Iowa-based grocer to talk about what else people can expect to see in the coming year.

Here’s what you need to know:

You can get free stuff as a Hy-Vee perks member. The new Hy-Vee Plus Premium membership is $99 a year, and you get free delivery, free two-hour express pickup and monthly specials.

In February, for example, members get 20 percent off flowers, 20 percent off drinks at in-store Starbucks and Caribou locations and a free 12-inch chocolate chip cookie.

You can text your personal ‘concierge’ shopper. The membership program also includes an option for personal concierge service.

Basically, you’ll get a text when someone at Hy-Vee is pulling your online order, and you can text them to add on items. Or they can text you if the store is out of your favorite brand of peanut butter and ask if you’re OK with an alternative.

You can work for Hy-Vee on your own schedule. Another new thing at Hy-Vee is the addition of a “flex” workforce. It’s like Uber but for working in a grocery store. You can apply to work, and, once you’re on the team, Hy-Vee stores will reach out when they need extra help – specifically with Aisles Online shoppers.

“They come to work when they want to work,” said Shawn Brown, district vice president for Hy-Vee’s northwest region.

You’ll have a new option to buy groceries in Harrisburg. It’s called Dollar Fresh, and, though you won’t see any Hy-Vee branding, it’s all under the same umbrella, said Hy-Vee spokesperson Christina Gayman.

Dollar Fresh will be smaller than a typical Hy-Vee store at around 30,000 square feet, and it will sell a full selection of grocery items, bakery, wine and spirits, and ready-made meals. Most of the Dollar Fresh stores, which started opening in Iowa in late 2018, also sell some clothing and shoes. The Harrisburg store is slated to open later this year.

You’ll have new menu options to dine-in. Hy-Vee is looking for new ways to welcome customers back to in-store dining. It’s too soon to share the specifics but know that you’ll see new menu items in the coming months.