Nov. 4, 2021

Hy-Vee Inc. will open its first Dollar Fresh stores in South Dakota on Friday, as locations are ready to go in Harrisburg and Tea.

“We offer a wide variety of products,” said Matt Kundert, district store director, who oversees both stores.

“We have a meat department, a wall of values, cosmetics, everything else you can imagine in a grocery store, at low, low prices. I want shoppers to kind of be in shock and awe, like, ‘Wow, these are low prices.'”

The 27,000-square-foot store in Harrisburg is very similar to the one in Tea, Kundert said. The merchandise mix, however, will not be identical.

“They’re going to have different items,” he said. “We want that ‘treasure hunt’ feel, so you might find something here that you don’t find there.”

The stores have a selection of grab-and-go items from Hy-Vee — you can get Chinese food, for example — along with bakery items brought in from Hy-Vee.

There’s a selection of produce along with most other grocery store staples.

It goes beyond that, though. This Dollar Fresh includes adult and children’s apparel from Hy-Vee’s Joe Fresh line.

And there’s even an assortment of name-brand shoes.

Shoppers also will find multiple private labels, including Food Club, which is the line specific to Dollar Fresh.

Other brands, such as Crav’n and the new Good Graces, are shared with Hy-Vee and stocked there.

One promotion invites shoppers to buy name-brand crackers and receive a private label box for free.

The “wall of value” features items on weekly specials. This week’s deals include canned vegetables, chips and cereal.

“It’s random, whatever I can find a good deal on,” Kundert said. “That’s the treasure hunt.”

And speaking of pricing, the store also is equipped with digital pricing on the shelves, so prices can be adjusted easily.

“I want to be price impactful,” Kundert said. “I want someone to feel like, ‘Wow, I’m getting the best deal.'”

The store features a combination of self-check and full-service lanes, including many that can be converted from one use to the other. Online ordering and pickup is available.

There are about two dozen Dollar Fresh stores companywide, and the brand is growing, he said.

Tea and Harrisburg fit the model for the concept because they are rapidly growing communities, he said.

“They’re nice towns,” Kundert said, adding he is in the process of moving to the area from Iowa. “They’re super-passionate about their high schools.”

The store has donated Gatorade to the football teams, for example.

“So we’re excited about that,” he said. “I love partnering with schools.”

When the doors open at 7 a.m. Friday in both towns, the first 50 shoppers will receive a grab bag of items. Food trucks also will be parked at both locations for opening day.

Hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.