It’s a lifestyle.
At first glance, H-E-B’s business model is unimaginative.
It boasts low prices and excellent customer service, much like its major rivals.
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From the outside, H-E-B locations look like many cookie-cutter big box stores.
It’s when you step inside that you’ll notice the difference.
Headquartered in San Antonio, the chain demonstrates an understanding of its customers that goes beyond sales data.
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That understanding has been the key to H-E-B’s success.
Here are a few of the ways H-E-B runs circles around its competition.
The exact width of aisles varies by location; an 8- to 10-foot clearance is standard in high-traffic locations.
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It’s not just the generously spaced aisles that make H-E-B’s shopping experience so much better.
The Texas chain keeps shoppers engaged by offering stations offree samples, eye-catching displays, and bold signage.
That’s not to mention the number of Texas-shaped products lining the shelves.
Courtesy of H-E-B
From tortilla chips to blocks of cheese, you’ll find something Texas shaped in just about every aisle.
It would be tempting to see these over-the-top displays of Texas pride as a gimmick.
But H-EB follows through on their homerism by sourcing as much of its product locally as possible.
H-E-B / Facebook
Look for the “Go Local” stamp on products all throughout the store.
And those Texas-shaped tortilla chips?
They’re made from Texas corn, too.
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No two H-E-B locations carry a totally identical selection of products.
Instead, the company stocks every store with the needs and wants of its neighborhood in mind.
At other stores, shoppers choose store brand products for the price, not necessarily the quality.
H-E-B / Facebook
H-E-B brand products offer the sameor betterquality as name brand equivalents at a lower price point.
That’s a bold statement in Texas, where Blue Bell is considered the official state ice cream.
“It helps that HEB’s ice cream costs less than premium brands like Haagen-Dazs,” addedanother fan.
“That value makes it my go to ice cream.”
Creamy Creations flavors include more than the usual vanilla and chocolate.
The store puts more Texas pride on display with flavors like Texas Seguin Pecan and Honey Sopapilla.
Soda is another arena where H-E-B’s private label goes head-to-head with iconic Texas brands.
Dr. B., meanwhile, is a delicious imposter for Dr. Pepper.
TheH-E-B Organics lineallows shoppers to enjoy premium produce, meats, and packaged goods without breaking the bank.
Shoppers love being able to find pesticide free options alongside conventional ones at the same store.
You’re smelling the product H-E-B is best known fortortillas.
No other grocery chain can compete with H-E-B’s flour tortillas.
Behind a counter, workers roll each tortilla by hand before placing it on a whirring tortilla press.
Cooked tortillas are then wrapped in stacks of 20, which retail for about $5.
A warmer in the bakery aisle keeps tortillas tasting hot and fresh for hours.
The chain recently celebrated customers' devotion to the tortillas with a tongue-in-cheekTV commercial.
H-E-B aficionados who move out of state have to adjust to life without their favorite chewy tortillas.
The grocer does not yet sell its tortillas online for out-of-area customers.
