Dive Brief:

• Hy-Vee is now offering a variety of take-and-bake meals and hot prepared foods for curbside pickup, according to a company press release.
• Meal pickup will be free, and orders will be available in as little as 30 minutes. Shoppers can also schedule meal pickup for a designated time. The food will be delivered directly to customers’ vehicles.
• Customers can order through Hy-Vee’s Aisles Online app or a dedicated Mealtime page. Some of the options include sandwiches, breakfast items, sushi, take-and-bake selections and dishes from Hy-Vee’s Hickory House meal brand.

Dive Insight:

Amid the pandemic, demand for groceries have surged as restaurants have shut down or limited services. But that doesn’t mean consumers have stopped looking for daily meal solutions. As many people juggle working from home and caring for family, quick solutions for breakfast, lunch and dinner are as important as ever. 

Hy-Vee already had an extensive take-and-bake and heat-and-eat meal selection prior to the pandemic, from pizzas and enchiladas to boneless buffalo wings. Many stores also have hot bars, sushi and salad bars, but since the COVID-19 outbreak, the retailer has closed dining areas and limited foodservice to freshly prepared meals for carry-out only. Hy-Vee’s Market Grille locations are still operating for takeout meals and curbside pickup as well.  

Making hot meals available through curbside pickup is a logical pivot that can help the retailer build bigger baskets for shoppers who are already ordering groceries. It can also help Hy-Vee remain top-of-mind for consumers looking for meals, even if options are limited, which is important as restaurants like Panera and Subway move into grocery service.

In San Antonio and Houston, Texas-based H-E-B has partnered with a few local restaurants to add restaurant-quality meals to some of its prepared food sections. Catering companies that have lost large gigs have morphed into meal makers for families from New York City to St. Louis, while meal kit companies have seen a revival as consumers try the kits again, or for the first time.