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Food & Wine Names HEB as Top Supermarket in the US for 2020

Updated: Jul 15, 2020

With its strong combination of market share, sales growth, sales efficiency, competitive Private Label offering and an emotional connection to its shopper base, H-E-B provides customers a superior all-encompassing grocery service.

Food & Wine magazine named H-E-B the best supermarket in the country in January by a global consumer research company. In a June survey, the company received the highest customer satisfaction score among grocery chains for its coronavirus precautions.


The company was founded on November 26, 1905, when Florence Butt opened the C.C. Butt Grocery Store on the ground floor of her family home in Kerrville, Texas. In 1919, Howard Edward Butt, Florence's youngest son, took over the store upon his return from World War I.

Since it was foundation, the company has embraced its strong Texan identity, one that resonates with its customers and has kept them coming back.


With her first husband in poor health and three small children, Florence Butt recognizes the need to support her family and opens the C.C. Butts Grocery store on November 26th, 1905 with her savings of $60.


Katie Canales/Business Insider

No matter what section you're shopping in, you have plenty of options to choose from at H-E-B, whether it's their private brand or a big national one. Going to H-E-B means being able to pick up a wide range of items, from groceries to pet food to seasonal decorations. H-E-B allows grocery, drugstore, and general merchandise items to be shipped worldwide to 48 states and to military bases across the globe.



There are more than 340 H-E-B stores across Texas, as well as some locations in northeast Mexico. The company also operates an upscale organic and fine foods retailers akin to Whole Foods called Central Market. In 2018, the chain did $28 billion in sales.



Citing the company's readiness to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, and a quick, effective update to a company-wide emergency plan it had already used during previous disasters, Landsel sings the praises of the grocery giant, giving it the top spot on the list.


“From the roving band of mariachis enlisted by one store manager at the height of the panic buying phase, to a useful assistance program for customers trying to access federal stimulus funds, to the mid-crisis launch of an initiative selling prepared foods from top regional chefs like Chris Shepherd, the home ofHere, Everything’s Better, a store nearly everybody already liked, did the most possible to lock down Texans’ undying affection,” says the magazine on their website.



 

Choosing the right partner


Diversifying each category with plenty of choices has become increasingly more important for grocery stores to remain relevant. Choosing an experienced broker ready to embrace the ever-changing CPG atmosphere, one that offers efficient, individualized services crafted to accelerate your products with giants like H-E-B, helps your brand grow smart and grow fast.



Our H-E-B Division is, located in the beautiful King William Historic District in the heart of San Antonio, Texas, a short 5 minute walk from H-E-B Arsenal Headquarters. A state-of-the-art facility house in a fully restored 100 year old Victorian home, where we take your business to the next level by often hosting direct meetings on-site with H-E-B buyers and live cooking demos.






Liz Holzheauser, our CEO, and Frank Vela our H-E-B Division President at one of the many H-E-B stores stocked with our brands.





Frank Vela is the President of the San Antonio Division. He joined STAR in 2015 to lead our H-E-B team. Frank's experience in the industry spans over 30 years, having worked at H-E-B as a BDM (buyer) for the dairy and bakery categories including private label.


Fun fact, he was H-E-B’s first global sourcing manager 🥇and traveled all over the world to find products that Texas customers would love. In his travels he met Vicente Fox, then president of México and many of the governors of the Mexican states as they held Trade Shows to exhibit their states’ goods for exporting into the USA.

Check out below some of the photographs from one the breakfast events we did for H-E-B employees at their San Antonio Offices and Warehouse.



We are H-E-B experts! Our stellar team of category experts handles all aspects of the sales side, so you can focus on what you do best — creating brands and products that change the world. 




Contact us today to find out how we can grow your brand at H-E-B!



The STAR Team


*You can read more about the H-E-B 2020 award here.

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