There are many supermarket brands in the United States, but in Texas, there is one particular supermarket that dominates the market in the state, and this supermarket is H-E-B. What is H-E-B? And why is it the most popular supermarket chain in Texas? To get the answers to these questions, here are the details about the origins and the popularity of H-E-B.
What is H-E-B?
H-E-B is a chain of privately held supermarkets that is based in San Antonio, Texas. This particular supermarket chain has more than 340 branches in Texas and in the northeastern section of Mexico. Despite only focusing on Texas and a small portion of Mexico, H-E-B managed to be one of the largest private companies in North America, as it earns about $38.9 billion a year.
Besides supermarkets, H-E-B also operates another brand called Central Market, which primarily focuses on selling organic and fine foods. The official mascot of the H-E-B supermarket brand is named H-E-Buddy, and he appears as an anthropomorphic brown grocery bag that is filled with different grocery items.
Brief History of H-E-B
H-E-B was founded as the C.C. Butt Grocery Store on November 26, 1905. The company’s founder was a businesswoman named Florence Butt, but she would soon give the business to his youngest son, Howard Edward Butt, in 1919. Howard Edward Butt took over the business shortly after ending his service in the Navy during World War I.
Before becoming the owner of the C.C. Butt Grocery Store, Howard Butt already had experience in running a small grocery store, as he was the manager of the store while he was still in high school. After graduating high school, Howard moved to California to work as a grape harvester before joining the Navy.
A few months after becoming the owner of the store, Howard Butt tried to expand the brand into four different branches in Central Texas, but the expansion failed. However, Butt tried again in 1927 by launching a second store in Del Rio, Texas, and this new store became a success. Howard Butt would then purchase three grocery stores in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, which is located on the border of Texas and Mexico. After the purchase, Butt changed the name of the company from C.C. Butt Grocery Store to H-E-B, which stands for his initials.
In 1971, Howard Butt handed the ownership of the company to Charles Butt, his youngest son. It was through the leadership of Charles Butt that H-E-B became the biggest supermarket chain in Texas. In the year that Charles took over as the chairman of the company, the annual sales of H-E-B were at $250 million, but by 2006, the annual sales ballooned to $13 billion. In 2011, H-E-B was declared the largest privately held company in Texas.
The Popularity of H-E-B in Texas
The popularity of H-E-B in Texas is mainly attributed to just how efficiently the company was able to open more than 300 successful stores in the state and the northern sections of Mexico. In 2010, it was estimated that H-E-B served about 55 percent of the Texas market. The locations where H-E-B is dominating the supermarket chain industry include San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi, and Austin. Besides the main H-E-B stores, the company also operates other brands of stores like H-E-B Plus!, Joe V’s Smart Shop, Mi Tienda, and Central Market. Here are the things you need to know about the other brands that are managed by H-E-B.
H-E-B Plus!
H-E-B Plus! was launched in 2004 as a store that sells nonfood items and general merchandise. Three H-E-B Plus! stores were opened in 2004, and these stores were located in Waco, Austin, and Corpus Christi. By 2005, the brand was able to expand to more than five stores. Some of the products sold by H-E-B Plus! include toys, housewares, cosmetic products, baby products, and party items. As of 2022, there have been more than 15 H-E-B Plus! stores operating in different cities of Texas.
Mi Tienda
Mi Tienda is a store that was launched in 2006 and is intended to be a “tortilleria,” which is a kind of bakery that sells Mexican baked goods. It first opened in South Houston in 2006, but a second store was opened in 2011 in North Houston that is much bigger than the first store. In Mi Tienda, employees make tortillas (unleavened flatbread made from corn or wheat flour) and serve it with marinated pork, beef, or chicken.
Joe V’s Smart Shop
Joe V’s Smart Shop was a store that was designed to sell discounted products. The first location for Joe V’s Smart Shop was opened in 2010 in Harris County, Texas. Joe V’s Smart Shop is significantly smaller than a regular H-E-B store, although there have been slightly larger branches that were opened over the years. The name “Joe V” is believed to have come from the name of an H-E-B executive who suggested the idea of operating a discount store that is separate from H-E-B.
Central Market
It was in 1994 when H-E-B introduced Central Market in Austin. Central Market is a grocery store that sells gourmet, organic, and international food products. As of 2022, there are ten branches of Central Market located in different cities of Texas, including Houston, San Antonio, and Fort Worth. Besides being a gourmet grocery store, Central Market is also a culinary school where people can learn cooking and wine-making.
And these are the things you should know about H-E-B and why they are incredibly popular in Texas. Because of the many branches that H-E-B operates, it is no surprise that they are dominating the grocery and supermarket industry in the Lone Star State. The popularity of H-E-B will most likely remain the same or grow slowly in the next few years as it continues to provide great service and a wide selection of products for its customers.