Hy-Vee reserves online shopping hours for high-risk customers

Dive Brief:

Hy-Vee announced on Tuesday that it will reserve one hour of its Aisles Online shopping time slots each day for consumers considered high risk. The service will start this Thursday and the time slot will be 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., the same time as it’s in-store hours for high-risk shoppers.
High-risk customers include those ages 60 and older, expectant mothers and any person with an underlying health condition.
The retailer asks that other shoppers respect these hours and use the other time slots that are available.

Dive Insight:

While many retailers have reserved early hours for high-risk shoppers, Hy-Vee is one of the first to set aside online time slots for the same group.

Since the special in-store hours have rolled out, there have been mixed reviews. Some public health experts actually say that packing a store with high-risk shoppers can be even more dangerous considering someone could be unknowingly infected and spread COVID-19 to a large group of vulnerable shoppers. Many people have also reported that customers who aren’t high-risk are still showing up because retailers aren’t checking and crowds still exist, making social distancing impossible.

These concerns have driven major growth in online shopping, especially among high-risk shoppers. In a recent survey from Brick Meets Click and ShopperKit, 39% of users aged 60 and older said they were using online grocery for the first time. Hy-Vee's decision to give them first access to freshly stocked online inventory could provide the same benefits as in-store shopping without putting themselves at risk. The retailer's announcement, however, said that it's asking others to "respect this hour," but doesn't appear to have a way to enforce its new policy, potentially diminishing the advantages for the group of shoppers the retailer wants to help.

In addition to Hy-Vee's new reserved online hours, other grocers have ramped up their services for seniors. H-E-B, in partnership with Favor Delivery, for example, gives elderly customers access to their own personal shopper that they can call and have essential products delivered. Volunteers on the Senior Support phone line take orders between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., daily. All fees are waived for the first 30 days and will include a $10 tip to the Favor deliverer.

Since the pandemic has intensified in the United States, Hy-Vee has made several moves to adjust its store operations to meet demand and try to protect its workers and shoppers. The company reduced its store hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week to allow for greater cleaning measures and time to restock shelves. It's installing plexiglass windows at checkout stations and shut down all of its foodservice offerings. Hy-Vee, along with other grocers, has also partnered with DoorDash to provide free delivery to high-risk customers.