Last month, San Antonio-based H-E-B Grocery Co. announced it will bring its low-price grocery format, Joe V’s Smart Shop, to North Texas for the first time. The retailer plans to open one store in southwest Dallas on Wheatland Road in late summer 2024 and the second on the city’s east side at Buckner Boulevard in spring 2025. The Joe V’s banner originated in Houston in 2010 and there are currently nine stores in operation. The two Dallas-area openings will mark the first extension of the brand since 2018 and will be the first Joe V’s stores outside of Houston. Until recently, Central Market, the company’s upscale format, had been the only H-E-B brand presence in North Texas. However, in the past year, H-E-B has extended its flagship banner into the ultra-competitive Dallas-Fort Worth marketplace, marking a significant expansion for the company.
H-E-B is growing its dicount banner in a strategic response to the rise in inflation and soaring grocery prices. H-E-B aims for Joe V’s to effectively compete with ultra low-price retailers such as ALDI, which operates 126 discount stores across Texas. The Joe V’s Smart Shop format averages 55,000 square feet and offers a curated selection of only 9,000 assorted SKUs including H-E-B-branded products, scratch-made tortillas, prepared meals, fresh produce, sushi, dairy, meats, and more. The product assortment is tailored to the local community. Inventory is predominantly purchased by the truckload or sourced from HEB inventory that is heavily discounted or on clearance. The limited assortment, truckload discounts, and operational efficiencies mean Joe V’s can offer prices at 15% to 20% lower than its competitors. “With the introduction of Joe V’s Smart Shop in Dallas, we are excited to build on our longstanding presence in the area and commitment to serve more customers in this dynamic and growing part of Texas,” H-E-B COO Roxanne Orsak said in a statement. “As a multi-format retailer, we have developed a variety of brands and formats to best serve our customers across the state.” H-E-B operates over 420 stores across Texas and Mexico under multiple banners including H-E-B, H-E-B Plus!, Central Market, Mi Tienda, and Joe V’s Smart Shop.
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