H-E-B Offers Free Curbside Pickup Across Texas

H-E-B is now offering free curbside pickup at 250 stores across Texas, waiving its $4.95 fee for curbside pickup orders with a minimum purchase of $35. To receive free curbside pickup, customers must have a basket that is at least $35 before taxes and before any discounts, promotions or coupons are applied. Orders less than $35 will include a $2.95 small basket surcharge.

“Our goal with H-E-B Curbside is to give Texans an easier, more convenient way to shop for the products they want and need, and we are excited to now offer this service free to all our H-E-B customers,” said Rachael Vegas, SVP of e-commerce merchandising, in a statement.

Customers can place an H-E-B Curbside order through the My H-E-B mobile app or online. Orders must be placed at least four hours prior to the scheduled pickup time. Customers may place orders anytime and can schedule orders up to seven days in advance. Product prices may vary from online and in-store, the San Antonio-based grocer said.

All curbside orders offer contactless service, allowing the customer to remain in their vehicle while their order is loaded.

David Bishop, partner of Brick Meets Click, in an interview with WGB this week said the move could be seen as evidence that grocers are fine-tuning their online strategies from absorbing new volume to maintaining it while vaccinations rise and restrictions on physical shopping recede. It could also support a more cost-effective mix of fulfillment and better position the brand to compete for shoppers who have learned to appreciate the convenience of virtual shopping.

“In essence, what they’re trying to do is to make pickup more attractive; that attractiveness is going to shift demand from delivery over to pickup. It may also help them compete against Walmart who is offering free pickup already,” Bishop said. “HEB may be signaling this how they’re trying to entrench themselves with these online customers by giving them reasons to stay online with them, or to attract those who say, ‘I like this, , but I’d rather not have the fees.’”

Additionally, H-E-B accepts SNAP EBT payments for H-E-B Curbside orders directly on the My H-E-B mobile app and heb.com. Since last year, all H-E-B Curbside locations provide the option for customers to use SNAP EBT to digitally pay for their orders. To use the service, customers must create an account and enter their SNAP EBT information on the My H-E-B app or heb.com. A credit, debit or gift card will need to be used to pay for items and fees not SNAP EBT eligible, the company said.

Launched in 2015, H-E-B Curbside is currently available at more than 250 H-E-B locations across Texas. The company will continue to roll out the service across the state, continuing H-E-B’s push to offer Texans more options to choose how they shop, pay for, and receive their products, the company added.