Are Hy-Vee shoppers prepared to pick up a clamshell of berries, and a pack of socks?
West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee Inc. entered into a franchise agreement with the British fashion label F&F last year (which is owned by Tesco), and added the first F&F boutique to its Minneapolis-area store in June.
Seven stores total have the boutiques, and more stores are planned for Lincoln and Omaha, Neb., according to an article in the Lincoln Journal-Star.
American shoppers are no strangers to clothing and food in the same venue, as evidenced by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target, Meijer, Fred Meyer and the like, but the designer boutique concept hasn’t caught on as much as it has for Loblaws’ Joe Fresh in Canada. I made a special trip to Joe Fresh in Montreal a few years back after recommendations from a colleague in the industry. Word of quality, affordable clothing spreads fast among people in the know.
Harrods is one of the most famous examples of designer food and designer apparel, but many who have attended Fruit Logistica in Berlin have experienced it at the Kaufhaus de Westens, or KaDeWe, as well.
I’ve also seen it at Globus in Zurich.
These aren’t quite the same as Hy-Vee in Iowa or Nebraska, but perhaps savvy shoppers in those comparatively rural areas are looking for something a bit trendier than what they can find at the neighborhood Wal-Mart?