Hy-Vee eliminating 500 corporate jobs, offering move to retail
Hy-Vee has informed up to 500 additional employees that their corporate-level jobs are being eliminated, and offered that they move to retail positions.
Axios reported that the West Des Moines-based grocery chain ran a full-page advertisement in newspapers in Midwest cities on the morning of April 27, including in the Des Moines Register detailing the company’s restructuring.
[Read more: Hy-Vee expands into Tennessee]
In addition to providing the ad, a company spokesperson spoke to Drug Store News about the changes.
“Last week, we invited all corporate office employees to attend an internal job fair to continue our efforts to see if any of our retail leadership openings may be a good fit for them, as many people in our corporate office have retail experience. We currently have approximately 400 store leadership positions open across our eight-state region in addition to other full-time opportunities. The ultimate goal is to have a number of corporate office employees fill those open leadership positions at retail. We do have positions open at our retail pharmacy locations that we are needing to fill as well.”
In the ad, the retailer cited recent economic and retail challenges, including rising inflation, fuel costs and supply chain disruptions, for its decision. The company said it will offer incentives and moving bonuses for corporate employees asked to move to retail positions, according to one of the reports.
[Read more: Hy-Vee to host 3rd 'Best of Local Brands' summit]
In one paragraph, the ad details how pharmacy remuneration fees have cost Hy-Vee more than $100 million so far this year.
Hy-Vee also announced last week that they are no longer pursuing plans for five new stores in the Twin Cities area and delaying the construction of its warehouse in Cumming, Iowa.
News of the changes comes on the heels of the company announcing back in March the opening of a location in Tennessee, and a reimagined store with several new departments back in February.