H-E-B’s newest store in Dallas-Fort Worth is its biggest yet in the region as the Texas grocer works to reach a growing community.
The San Antonio-based supermarket chain opens its doors in Melissa on Wednesday morning, adding yet another site for H-E-B in North Texas. The new store covers about 136,000 square feet compared with about 130,000 at its second Frisco store.
The new store was tailored with the local community in mind, according to Juan-Carlos Ruck, executive vice president. There is a large number of growing families in the area, so the store features meals designed for them.
In addition, North Texas has a strong and growing population of South Asians, so the new site has signage pointing customers to products that serve that community. Some of H-E-B’s offerings include freshly made naan and an ample yogurt selection in the dairy area.
Ruck also noted the local love for barbecue, so there’s an emphasis on meats as well.
“We don’t treat (everything) the same,” Ruck said, while noting many products will look familiar. “We do incredible customer and consumer research.”
H-E-B continues to invest in stores around North Texas to compete with others that are updating and adding new sites as more people move to the region. The new site is in one of North Texas’ fastest-growing communities. It also sits at the intersection of State Highway 121 and U.S. Highway 75, making it a prime spot for drawing in new customers.
“D-FW is probably the most competitive grocery market in the United States,” Ruck said. “It’s also one of the most attractive and growing markets.”
The new store is using its larger space to give workers more room for handling and preparing food that customers can choose from on the main floor, Ruck said. It employs about 550 people.
