H-E-B Unveils First Multilevel Store in Houston

H-E-B on Wednesday unveiled its first multilevel store in the Houston area. The new format boasts two stories of expanded shopping departments, an interactive art installation and convenient services including H-E-B Curbside and home delivery.

Located at 5106 Bissonnet St. in Bellaire, Texas, which formerly housed one of its original H-E-B Pantry stores, the new 78,000-square-foot supermarket more than doubles the size of the original location. The store is equipped with expanded and covered parking, as well as elevators and escalators for shoppers to easily navigate between the dual levels and parking garage.

“We have been a part of the Bellaire community for more than 24 years and are committed to our loyal customer following,” said Armando Perez, SVP of H-E-B Houston, in a statement. “While the Bellaire store will offer an enhanced in-store experience with the highest standard of service and selection, we are also always looking for ways to be innovative and connect with our customers on a new level.”

Progressive Shopping Experience

An innovative arts initiative is among the store’s new standout features. In an effort to excite shoppers and enhance the shopping experience, H-E-B Bellaire Market will feature a permanent interactive light installation called Blue by You, created by Texas artist Ansen Seale.

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“H-E-B has succeeded with innovative shopping and progressive in-store experiences for years, and we felt it was time to take it up a notch,” said Perez.

Made of acrylic, LED lights and aluminum, the installation was designed to respond to shopper movement by changing colors and leaving a trail behind each customer as they walk throughout the store.

“My intention is the viewer becomes the creator, riding a self-generated wave of color to and from an everyday experience,” said Seale.

H-E-B plans to commission an artist to create custom installations in all Houston multilevel stores moving forward, adding an exciting and engaging element that reflects each unique neighborhood, the company said.

The new Bellaire location will also feature a Four J Foods coffee shop and cafe, slated to open soon on the store’s second floor, featuring indoor and outdoor seating.

Convenient Services

H-E-B Bellaire Market offers convenient services including online ordering and pickup, as well as grab-and-go meal solutions. The store features more than 200 options from the retailer’s H-E-B Meal Simple heat-and-eat line, including Chicken Tortilla Soup and Simple Garlic Pesto Atlantic Salmon with Asparagus.

The location also offers H-E-B’s Curbside, through which shoppers can order and pay for groceries online and have their orders delivered curbside at a scheduled pickup time, or delivered straight to their homes.

Standout Features

With expanded in-store departments, H-E-B Bellaire Market offers local fresh produce, kosher items and fresh meat, as well as hundreds of H-E-B Organics options and its new H-E-B Select Ingredients, featuring the retailer’s private brand products that are free from unwanted ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors.

“We have updated and upgraded the store, but we are still committed to providing healthy food choices, specialty items tailored to Bellaire’s needs and the extraordinary customer service that you have come to expect,” H-E-B Bellaire Market General Manager Hugh Sintic said in a statement.

Some highlights within the store’s more than 40,000 SKUs include:

The store also features a full-service pharmacy, located on the first floor with drive-thru access; a dedicated wine manager to assist shoppers with wine pairing selections; a scratch bakery and Tortilleria, featuring fresh tortillas, desserts and organic and artisan breads baked daily; live cooking demonstrations with Cooking Connection and the Showtime Kitchen; and a hospitality staff of 340 H-E-B employees, many of whom came from the original Pantry store and the former Braeswood and Chimney Rock location.

To celebrate H-E-B Bellaire Market’s grand opening, the retailer is donating $5,000 to the Hana and Arthur Ginzbarg Nature Discovery Center, which offers educational services about nature, and $5,000 to Undies for Everyone, which provides underwear for disadvantaged students throughout Houston.