H-E-B Readies to Rule Dallas-Fort Worth

H-E-B of San Antonio is tackling a new market in the Lone Star State, with a pair of stores planned for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex set to open next year. The stores, which will open in Frisco and Plano in fall 2022, build on the company’s longstanding presence in the area and reinforce its commitment to serve more customers in this dynamic and growing part of Texas, said H-E-B.

The Frisco store will be located at the northeast corner of Legacy Drive and Main Street, while the Plano store will call the southwest corner of Preston Road and Spring Creek Parkway home. Groundbreakings are projected for this summer.

While H-E-B’s Central Market banner has operated in the DFW area since 2001, traditionally sprawling H-E-B stores that average between 70,000 and 80,000 square feet, with some as large as more than 175,000 square feet, have yet to set up shop in the Metroplex. Area Central Market stores currently operate in Dallas, Plano, Southlake and Fort Worth.

The move into Dallas has been long anticipated and could be significant for competitors there. According to Metro Market Studies, Walmart is the market leader with a 30.2% share in the 7.1 million-population Dallas Fort Worth MSA, followed by Kroger (14.6%) and Albertsons Cos.' Tom Thumb (7.8%). H-E-B has served communities near the Metroplex, including Burleson, Hudson Oaks, Granbury and Waxahachie, and along with Central Markets controls a 4.5% share, Metro Market Studies notes. Additionally, H-E-B’s Favor Delivery now serves 29 cities across the metro area.

In other Texas markets in which it operates, H-E-B tends to dominate and is known particularly for being a fierce competitor to Walmart.

“This is an exciting day as we share plans to expand our presence in the DFW market with the introduction of H-E-B, our flagship banner, to our growing network of stores,” said Stephen Butt, president, Central Market division, H-E-B, in a statement. “For the past 20 years, Central Market has been committed to earning customers’ trust, and H-E-B partners will work hard to earn the confidence of the many new shoppers we look forward to serving in the Plano and Frisco communities.”

H-E-B is a purpose-driven company with deep Texas roots, an unwavering commitment to customer service and community, and above all, dedicated employees who are the heart of the company, the grocery chain said. One of the largest private employers in the state of Texas, H-E-B employs more than 137,000 people.

“At H-E-B we’ve always known that our success depends on two things: our customers, whose trust we must earn every day, and our partners who go above and beyond to serve them,” said Juan-Carlos Rück, H-E-B EVP, North West food/drug division. “Our two new stores will feature the best of H-E-B with products and services our customers have come to love and expect. We are committed to ensuring these stores are a meaningful addition to the Frisco and Plano communities.”

H-E-B’s spirit of giving philosophy, which propels a variety of signature events each year, including the H-E-B Feast of Sharing holiday dinners in Dallas and Fort Worth, Teacher of the Year awards in the Dallas Independent School District and Fort Worth Independent School District, and the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, will continue to expand across the DFW Metroplex and build on its relationships with more than 100 nonprofit organizations and public schools in Frisco and Plano, the company said.

With more than 116 years of serving communities across the state, H-E-B is one of the largest privately held companies in Texas, with $32 billion in annual sales and more than 420 stores across Texas and Mexico.

“H-E-B is committed to the DFW area for the long term and hopes to serve even more of the Metroplex in the future,” the company added.