Store Check: H-E-B Plus

H-E-B capped its Centennial in 2005 by offering customers an entirely new shopping experience. The retailer debuted its latest innovation with the grand opening of San Antonio's first H-E-B plus! -- the next generation store format that marks the future of H-E-B. (See gallery at right.)Opened to the public on Oct. 28, the new store is more than 170,000 square feet, features 40,000 new items, employs more than 600 partners and will be open from 6 a.m. until 1 a.m. seven days a week.The introduction of H-E-B plus! follows years of research, planning and testing. Research showed that today's consumers are pressed for time and want the convenience of one-stop shopping. In response, H-E-B plus! was developed as a destination store with exciting new departments and new items selected for local shoppers' tastes and needs.The store expands on H-E-B's core strengths in fresh foods such as produce, dairy, bakery, meat and seafood, while introducing exciting new departments shoppers would not expect from a typical H-E-B. A sampling of new departments includes Cook & Grill, Card & Party, Entertainment, Baby, Bed & Bath, Furniture and Do-It-Yourself.H-E-B plus! maintains the retailer's unwavering commitment to low prices every day.The store will offer shoppers an exciting experience with Grocery Showtime Partners interacting with customers every day and conducting more than 40 live demos every week. An all-new feature in the Produce department is the Farmer's Favorites tasting and education station where customers can taste and learn about the day's freshest produce.Customers can also expect to find something different and new every time they visit the store with surprise buys and super values every day. In addition, H-E-B plus! is thoughtfully designed to serve the tastes and preferences of the local community with fresh pan dulce and bolillos available in the Bakery every day, and a Carniceria in the Meat Market featuring thin-sliced and marinated meats."Shoppers will quickly see that H-E-B plus! offers the fresh foods and low prices they know and appreciate from H-E-B," said Greg Souquette, H-E-B Senior Vice President and General Manager for the San Antonio/West region. "They will also see our commitment to offering departments, products and services that local customers want from their neighborhood store."The all-new Cafe Spoonz will delight customers with a taste inspired by H-E-B's Central Market. The casual dining spot features food made fresh and offered at low prices every day. Cafe Spoonz offers rotisserie meats, fresh pasta, pizza, paninis, interior Mexican food, breakfast tacos every morning and wine by the glass. Everything is ready-to-eat, dine-in or take-home.Located at the front of the store are H-E-B Services and H-E-B Insurance Services. At H-E-B Services, customers can purchase hunting and fishing licenses, Ticketmaster tickets to all of their favorite events, pre-paid calling cards and pre-paid home phone cards, and make home bill payments. H-E-B Insurance Services offers a range of insurance products, from auto, life and health to homeowners, renters and travel insurance."Everything about H-E-B plus! is designed to make life easier for time-starved shoppers who want fresh food, quality merchandise and low prices in one convenient destination," Souquette said.A new H-E-B plus! store opened in Corpus Christi on October 14, and one is also slated to open in Round Rock in the coming weeks. [Editor's Note: The attached photos are taken from the Round Rock store.]As of fall 2006, H-E-B had opened seven H-E-B plus! stores and had 12 more planned for 2007 and 2008.

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