WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee is looking to transition up to 500 corporate employees to retail jobs, the company announced in a full-page newspaper ad.
The company published the news using page space in the Des Moines Register, something Hy-Vee called an "advertorial". The announcement said company leaders are making a number of decisions to prevent the impacts of a potential economic downturn.
Among those decisions is placing a pause on projects, including the new warehouse in Cumming. Hy-Vee is hoping to resume that at a later date.
The full-page newspaper advertisement — titled "Economic and Retail Industry Challenges Lead to a Shift in Strategy for Hy-Vee — also said the company is determining whether the plots of land it owns still align with "its growth plans for the future."
The company, however, said finding staff for its stores is "our No. 1 priority." To do that, the company will be asking up to 500 corporate employees to move to its grocery stores to help fill hundreds of open retail management positions.
"The company will provide incentives and moving bonuses to entice more office employees to relocate to its retail stores to help fill the open positions and will work one-on-one with employees on their placement" the ad reads.
In March, Hy-Vee asked more than 100 corporate employees to make the same move.
In the advertisement, Hy-Vee said it's making moves to be as lean as possible.
CEO and Chairman Randy Edeker said, "...we need to make adjustments to better serve our customers and our more than 93,000 employees."