The variety of goods at Hy-Vee has grown dramatically in recent years. customers is a lot more educated.” Specialty international cheeses have seen double-digit sales increases in recent years. “It’s a lot of education and demonstrating them so people know what they taste like and what to pair them with.” He said the growth in the sale of gift cards — to a variety of stores, from Applebees to Cabela’s — also has been a big change in the grocery business. “We get a flat percentage of the gift cards. We don’t get rich but we get some other sales along with them.” The hilltop store is unique in the Hy-Vee chain, which has 64,000 employees in eight states, in that it has a large and successful women’s clothing and gift section. “One of the managers here had a background in clothing and gifts and we just built if up from there,” Olson said. One thing Olson has seen less of lately are coupons. “When the economy went down in 2009, couponing became huge. Now people just want the price to be right. There’s still coupons, but people don’t want the hassle of doing it.” Finding the niche Weinstein has been in retail ownership and management for decades, starting with his “hippie” shop near the MSU campus he ran in the 1970s, selling music, T-shirts, incense and other items. The longtime Bedpost Furniture store features higherquality furniture, a niche he said has served them well as more and more furniture store competition has arrived in Mankato. “I’m a believer that your customers are your customers and some people are willing to pay the extra for something good. You have to focus on them,” Weinstein said. “You’re not going to compete with big boxes on trying to sell a lot of low price stuff.”
Hy-Vee checkout lines will be busy with holidays approaching. He said the Ekornes Stressless chairs are strong sellers as are the higher-end Tempur-Pedic beds. “Our Amish furniture is really doing good for us. It’s high quality and made by American craftsmen.” While virtually all furniture used to be manufactured in the furniture mecca of North Carolina, 80 percent of all furniture sold today comes from China. Weinstein said Mankato has, in recent years, been known as a having a huge increase in furniture sales compared to other areas of the country. “Once Mankato hit that 50,000 population mark, things really picked up and we got a lot more attention. I think when they get the road system complete better things will really explode in Mankato.” The biggest change he’s seen in his decades in retailing is the loss of the smaller family-owned retail stores. “These mom and pop stores are facing a tough environment. They offered really great service but you paid more for it. It’s harder now with the low-price
MN Valley Business • october 2013 • 17