WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Health and nutrition are rapidly moving to the forefront of consumer lifestyles — and Hy-Vee is ready.
The Midwestern retailer has spent the past year positioning itself for this moment, making strategic moves with new partners and developing innovations to keep health top of mind among customers.
“Our role as a grocer and pharmacy provider is always evolving,” said Aaron Wiese, president of Hy-Vee. “Now more than ever, we are seeing health and nutrition drive purchasing behaviors in the grocery aisles, which is why we’ve invested in new tools and resources to help guide, engage and empower customers in their health journey.”
According to Wiese, the retailer’s latest investments demonstrate its commitment to making healthy shopping more approachable for the everyday consumer.
In January, Hy-Vee teamed up with FoodHealth Co. to bring FoodHealth Scores to Hy-Vee. Using the grocer’s mobile app, customers can quickly identify the overall nutrition of a product based on its nutrient density and the quality of its ingredients. Each item is scored on a scale of 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating higher nutritional value. The retailer also uses a color-coded system that ranges from red to green to help indicate the product’s nutrition level at a glance.
This year, Hy-Vee became one of the nation’s first grocers to develop its own line of medically tailored meals called Dietitian Dishes. Available in more than 15 varieties, the frozen line was inspired and developed by Hy-Vee’s team of registered dietitians to help support specific dietary needs, including heart friendly and diabetes friendly diets.
In its HealthMarket departments, Hy-Vee has introduced another health-forward brand called Nothing But The Truth, featuring products made with high-quality ingredients that are primarily organic, plant-based, non-GMO, low sugar and high in protein. It follows clean-label standards and intentionally excludes more than 150 ingredients, including high-fructose corn syrup, artificial additives and dyes.
Each of these initiatives is part of a broader effort centered around Hy-Vee’s Food is Medicine program, which uses pharmacy and nutrition interventions to help guide individuals in making more intentional health choices that can help prevent, manage or treat chronic conditions. Hy-Vee has leveraged its team of pharmacists and registered dietitians to power the movement to help reach and engage with customers.
The retailer has also participated in several pilot studies to measure the health outcomes behind its Food Is Medicine efforts. From a pilot study with tech company evermore (formerly Soda Health), Hy-Vee has seen that nutritional incentives combined with education drive engagement far more effectively than either of those factors do when used alone.
“Healthy decisions don’t always come naturally,” said Wiese. “But as a grocer and pharmacy provider, we can help support and encourage healthy behaviors in ways that no provider can, serving as an access point for both care and nutrition.”
In the pharmacy space, Hy-Vee has continued to increase its investment in supporting GLP-1 patients, including forming a strategic partnership with GoodRx to deliver better medication pricing.
Earlier this year, Hy-Vee announced the availability of the newly FDA-approved Wegovy pill available to purchase through GoodRx at a cash price of $149 per month. Through the partnership, the more traditional GLP-1 injection medications are also available at a discounted cash price when purchased through GoodRx.
Hy-Vee’s focus on GLP-1 drugs has expanded into other areas of its business as well. Adjacent to its pharmacies, the retailer has installed end-cap displays that feature nutritional supplements and products that can help fill nutrition gaps and treat any side effects. Hy-Vee’s team of registered dietitians have also come alongside GLP-1 patients to support them with personalized nutrition counseling, as well as diabetes and weight management programs.
Direct Primary Care Has Patients Taking Proactive Approach
Recent studies suggest that the total health cost per employee is expected to increase 6.5% on average this year and will only continue to climb in the years ahead. Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care is working to help control some of these costs on a long-term scale through its membership-based care model known as “direct primary care.”
Founded in 2019, Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care is a direct primary care practice headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa. Hy-Vee became a joint owner of the business in 2024.
Direct primary care diverges from the traditional fee-for-service model that’s widely used across health care. Instead of insurance, patients use a monthly membership to access care, which covers a variety of services including unlimited primary care visits, labs and physicals — and provides direct access to providers by text, phone or email. Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care’s membership is available to individuals, families and employer groups.
Direct primary care’s elimination of co-pays and deductibles encourages patients to take a more proactive approach to their care and prompts patients to seek out providers on a more frequent basis.
Much of Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care’s strategy is centered around controlling benefit costs for employers. One way it does this is through increasing access. In 2025 alone, Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care saw significant growth, increasing its clinic count from three to 13, and expanding its footprint across Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota. Unlike most providers, Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care offers same- or next-day appointments, so patients can be seen when it’s most convenient for them.
Another way the provider controls costs is through education. Today, nearly 40% of emergency room visits are not medical emergencies. Oftentimes, these types of injuries or conditions can be treated in primary care settings — and at a significantly reduced cost for both the employer and patient.
Models like direct primary care have also been proven to increase workplace productivity and reduce absenteeism rates, and can help lead to higher employee engagement and retention. As an employer, Hy-Vee has been offering Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care memberships at no cost to its own employees for more than a year, and the response to it has been overwhelmingly positive.
Hy-Vee
KEY EXECUTIVES
Jeremy Gosch, Chairman, CEO; Aaron Wiese, President
HEADQUARTERS
5820 Westown Parkway
West Des Moines, Iowa, 50266
Phone: (515) 267-2800
Website: hy-vee.com
TRADE CLASS — Supermarket
FISCAL YEAR RESULTS
Pharmacy sales — $3.8 billion (retail and specialty pharmacy)*
Overall sales — Over $14 billion
Number of stores — More than 300
Number of pharmacies— 271 retail pharmacies + 5 specialty pharmacies
Number of states operating — 50
*CDR estimate.
