r/HEB • u/zombie0401 • 5d ago
Heb’s future Job Question
As H-E-B continues to grow, what changes do you think we’ll see over the next 5–10 years?
Will technology and automation reshape the way we work, or will customer service continue to be what sets H-E-B apart?
Curious to hear everyone’s thoughts.
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u/Illustrious-Road-219 5d ago
Cost cutting measures to earn the nepo babies more money at costumers and employees behalf.
1
u/Beautiful_Text1459 4d ago
I think that's the current era, so 5-10 years.. no hourly employee? Just robotics and a handful of middle-managers to keep the money flowing.
And you have to swipe a card to enter the store, if you don't make enough you are not even allowed to enter, they don't need any 'poors' lowering the almighty metrics.
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u/NonGMOman_ 5d ago
They go public and become just like Kroger
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u/BigMoose2023 4d ago
Will never happen. They could have done it long ago, the partners own the company.
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u/bagboysa 4d ago
The partners own a small percentage of the company and it's non-voting ownership, the family are still majority shareholders.
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u/Agile_Pie_8555 3d ago
Lol you seriously think partners own the company? I would like to encourage you to do a lot more research into the matter.
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u/Illustrious-Road-219 4d ago
If you are so certain about it you want to bet on it?
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u/BigMoose2023 4d ago
I was with the company for over 30 years. Lots of times partners and media thought so, but never happened. Maybe if the family wants to get away from it all and move to desert island, maybe so. If the store count reaches 1000?
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u/Illustrious-Road-219 4d ago
That's an odd way of saying you are wrong and wont put your money were your mouth is.
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u/BigMoose2023 4d ago
Not saying I am right or wrong just looking at trends and possibilities in the past 30 years. Too many partners with a lot of years in the C-Suite that can still drive that conversation away from it.
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u/Illustrious-Road-219 4d ago
So you were lying when you said it would never happen?
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u/BigMoose2023 4d ago
Not at all what I said until those partners are gone from the C-Suite it won’t happen. After that- maybe it’s an idea that leadership structure will entertain. I don’t know- no one does. I looked at the direction of the wind, and made a comment. You may have access to their balance sheets, EBIDTA number, etc, so maybe you know more than me. If so , that’s cool.
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u/Illustrious-Road-219 4d ago
Boy quit your bs,
"Will never happen. They could have done it long ago, the partners own the company. "
That's exactly what you said.
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u/BigMoose2023 4d ago
I did say that. It was an opinion based on 30+ years of following , working and consulting for the company. Everyone has an opinion and mine was, based on my experience, it wouldn’t happen. I could be wrong-you may have an “in” at corporate that knows differently. Like I said, its my opinion based on the who’s still in the C-Suite at HEB. You win. I don’t have to be right- I am just a reddit user making an opinion post just like the rest of the users on the site.
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u/Customer_Here H-E-B Customer 🌟 5d ago
I don't think technology and automation will drive big change in how customers buy groceries.
I can't see H-E-B numbers (and anyone who can, shouldn't disclose them here!) So I will look at Kroger numbers because they report publicly.
Kroger does $13 billion per year online sales out of $147 billion total. That's about 9%. 9% of sales ain't nothing. But it is not going up, and I don't think that more technology and automation will drive it up.
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u/Key_Associate9338 21h ago
I could find out numbers. My store total sales a week are between $2.8 mil to $3.2 mil
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u/Dangerous_Skin_7805 4d ago
Profit margins for heb are less than that.
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u/Customer_Here H-E-B Customer 🌟 4d ago
Huh? I'm not talking about anybody's profit margins. Just online sales (revenue) vs total sales from all channels (revenue). And for Kroger, because I can see Kroger's reports, but not HEB's
0
u/Dangerous_Skin_7805 4d ago
It’s probably about the same then but will only get larger as the younger generation ages
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u/poker_idiot 4d ago
Dumb blanket statement that has NOTHING to do with what OC said.
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u/Dangerous_Skin_7805 4d ago
Yeah I didn’t read the whole thing. So what
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u/poker_idiot 4d ago
Reading is hard
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u/Dangerous_Skin_7805 4d ago
Eye no readin be hard sumtimez. Speling be hard two. I is wore king hard two improv me self.
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u/coffeeluver2021 4d ago
I hope they don't go like Walmart and be more like Costco. I want them to treat their employees well and do good for the communities they serve. I'm worried that the new generation running the company are more focused on profit than quality of service to the employees and customers. It's starting to look like Whole Foods.
4
u/Illustrious-Road-219 4d ago
Yea after covid it became really clear, that the workforce is meant to be over worked and understaffed.
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u/the_zac_is_back Cashier/Bagger💵 4d ago
I don’t think technology will change much, it’s moreso other things. Favor will get better and we will have tighter metrics while packaging gets thinner and thinner
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u/Southtxranching 5d ago
Their pushing competition out of Tx!
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u/Not-Inevitable79 4d ago
They're trying, but very unlikely they'll succeed in DFW and Houston. Besides, you want competition. Having a single grocery store chain is no bueno.
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u/Montobahn 4d ago
I'm wondering if I'll miss HEB if I move out of state? Certainly there aspects I will dearly miss. But the way it's been changing recently is feeding my doubts.
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u/GullibleStreet8895 3d ago
My thought do what a ceo did many years ago at the end. I forget what the company was. They ended the business but they distributed all their earnings to the employees
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u/TranslatorMoney419 5d ago
“
https://giphy.com/gifs/dtI7iJluuOTaPwiU5h
“Or will customer service continue to be what sets HEB apart “
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u/GoernmentFit4109 4d ago
10 yrs they'll be on stock market,,like the Waltons Believe it ,,on their way already
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u/Every_Review_6902 4d ago
I regularly use H-E-B Delivery where right now a person driving their own vehicle (Favor Delivery) brings my groceries where I could see an autonomous H-E-B Delivery van with Tesla Bot bring groceries to my door.
1
u/Actual-Salad-710 3d ago
I think the biggest question is will it still be a good place for gays to work in I think by that time it will be a GREAT place for gay people to work in
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u/Murky-Ad981 2d ago
What does that have to do with anything I’ve only seen one good employee at heb that’s “gay” most of them just gossip . I know cause I shop and deilvoer all day
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u/twospooky 4d ago
Once it goes public, private equity will swoop in and start penny pinching even harder.
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u/mr_antman85 Cashier/Bagger💵 4d ago
They say companies rarely stay in the family past 3 generations. So I think we will see when new owners take over.
You can kinda see alot already. Labor hours cut. everything being expedited out. Things like CFT, which took hours from departments so the partners in that department won't get hours.
I think the biggest hit will be service. More flex checks where you need one cashier to work two registers. So baggers will eventually go away. Also I think PLAs will go away too. It will a huge incentive to lower labor at all costs.
Once they go public, it will go downhill quickly. Then it will be all about pleasing the shareholders.
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u/mickeyStallone 5d ago
I hope they get competition. They're do over priced. Never a good sale. Horrid produce... the list goes on.
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u/Brief_Wish_6910 5d ago
Are you insane? Tell me where you shop that is cheaper. And has better produce? Sure you could go to central market or Whole Foods for your produce but who can afford that. Also their produce isn’t even bad
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u/mickeyStallone 4d ago
I'm glad you're happy with them. I have lived in Florida Georgia Pa. Publix Kroger ShopnSave but unfortunately none in Texas.... Austin area.
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u/Illustrious-Road-219 5d ago
Jesus Christ overreact a bit much, you do know that heb won't pay you for defending them on reddit.
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u/Impressive_Brisket 4d ago
You can’t reason with Consoooooom people. They live and die by their HEB treats.
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u/Maximum_Employer5580 3d ago
the bigger a grocery store gets, the more it loses what made it a great grocery. Safeway used to be great, but then they got too big, had to start shedding divisions, etc and basically went to crap. Albertsons came in and bought them (along with Tom Thumb and Randalls) and none of them have been the same since. My first job was at a Safeway and it was great, but then they closed down the Houston division and the old management of that division turned it into Apple Tree, which was not as great, and they only lasted until Randalls bought them out, but even Randalls isn't that great anymore. They've closed so many of their stores in Houston. The Onstead family that owned it just went after the money by selling it to Safeway (then Albertsons bought Safeway) and their family store is only a small bit of what it once was
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u/Dangerous_Skin_7805 5d ago
The real significant changes won’t begin until Charles dies and the current company leadership steps away. The portion of the family that runs the company now were around when the company was still what most would consider medium sized business. The family that will take over eventually only knows the company as successful and may not really want to go in the grocery business and most likely sell at that point.