Hy-Vee to open in-store nail salons with The W Nail Bar

Hy-Vee is partnering with The W Nail Bar to open several in-store nail salons this year.

Plans call for the first The W Nail Bar location to open inside the Hy-Vee supermarket in Bettendorf, Iowa, in early April, Hy-Vee said Wednesday. More nail salons are slated to launch in stores across the grocer’s eight-state Midwestern market area by the end of 2021.

A full-service, all-natural nail salon operator, The W Nail Bar offers a range of nail care services, including manicures, pedicures, nail art, waxing and tinting. The Columbus, Ohio-based company — with nine salons in Ohio, Virginia, Texas and Indiana — also offers its own line of all-natural, handmade nail products, which Hy-Vee said will soon be sold at selected stores.

“Through our partnership with The W Nail Bar, we are revolutionizing the way customers shop in our stores by bringing engaging, experiential and convenient services to our customers,” Hy-Vee Chairman, President and CEO Randy Edeker said in a statement. “We are proud to launch this partnership with a company that shares many of the same goals that we do at Hy-Vee, including innovative offerings and exceptional customer service.”

Full-service manicures from the in-store W Nail Bars will start at $35, while pricing for full-service pedicures will begin at $55, Hy-Vee said. Monthly memberships also will be available.

Related:Hy-Vee opening DSW footwear ‘shop-in-shops’

Hy-Vee noted that The W Nail Bar adheres to strict cleaning and sanitation protocols in all areas of its salons as part of its COVID-19 safety measures. The salon also promotes social distancing by positioning plexiglass barriers between customers and technicians during manicure and pedicure services, limiting the customer capacity to 50% and offering contactless payment.

The W Nail Bar is family- and female-owned, founded by sisters Lauren Hunter and Manda Mason, who opened their first salon in Columbus, Ohio, in 2015. From Ohio, both grew up working in their family’s grocery store before pursuing their own careers, according to Hy-Vee. 

“Originating from a family of grocers ourselves, we could not picture a better fit for The W Nail Bar,” stated Lauren Hunter, co-founder of The W Nail Bar. “We are excited to collaborate with Hy-Vee to bring our own twist to the grocery space, offering safe, all-natural nail and beauty services and products to Hy-Vee customers.”

Through the partnership with The W Nail Bar, Hy-Vee has continued to go beyond food and groceries with the store-in-a-store concept. 

Last fall, the West Des Moines, Iowa-based grocer opened six DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse “shop-in-shops” inside six of its supermarkets in the Twin Cities area. And in July 2019, Hy-Vee started selling apparel, accessories, footwear and beauty care items under Loblaw Cos.’ Joe Fresh fashion brand in selected stores. The affordable fashion line is presented in a Joe Fresh-branded “shop-in-shop” department and includes items for women, men, children and babies. Also, in 2018, Hy-Vee teamed up with upscale bath and beauty brand Basin to open in-store boutiques and displays, dubbed Basin and Beauty.

Related:Hy-Vee to sell clothing from Loblaw’s Joe Fresh

Overall, Hy-Vee operates more than 275 food and drug stores in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.