Grocery Dive has awarded H-E-B with the title of Grocer of the Year 2020.
H-E-B was named “Grocer of the Year” by Grocery Dive, an industry publication, due to its pandemic preparation and response.
H-E-B was praised for managing to keep supplies in core categories on the shelves when many stores were experiencing shortages.
"Its stores experienced empty shelves just like other retailers, but it kept supplies strong in core categories like meat, produce and dairy, in no small part thanks to owning many of its own manufacturing plants and having strategically placed warehouses throughout the Lone Star State," Grocery Dive said.
In March, H-E-B established a dedicated delivery service for people aged 60 and older that became a lifeline for vulnerable customers.
H-E-B was also praised for instituting permanent wage increases for team members when many grocers were winding down their employee raised.
In October, eight months after the pandemic began in earnest, H-E-B gave workers a $500 bonus.
"Indeed, the 115-year-old grocer is well-known as a whip-smart operator and a customer favorite, having won just about every recognition and award under the sun," Grocery Dive said. "And yet it still managed to outperform expectations during one of the most challenging periods the grocery industry has ever experienced."
