Anxious shoppers lined up outside before dawn, much like at H-E-B openings in North Texas. Dallas' Carter High School's CC Marching Machine drum line played on. After all the fanfare, shoppers got to shopping.
And after a visit yesterday, I'm jealous. If you feel like shopping post-pandemic is an assault, you should be jealous too.
The 55,000-square-foot store is an all-business, smaller version of an H-E-B store, which are typically around 100,000 square feet. There aren't so many bells and whistles, such as a huge bakery (although there are fresh tortillas, bolillos and breads). There aren't cooking demonstrations nor is there a floral department. No jalapeño pimento cheese or a home goods section. But a broad selection of fresh, high-quality goods at more-than-reasonable prices makes up for it. Shoppers took note and loaded up. Walking in the front doors — with The Go-Go's "Head Over Heels" not ironically playing loud over the aux — shoppers were welcomed by a pile of avocados for 47 cents each. Packages of fresh strawberries were on special for 67 cents each. There were plenty of ripe avocados. None were bruised and all were working towards soft (but none overly ripe). The strawberries were bright red with no mold at the bottom of the plastic. The rows and piles of produce were lush in variety and quantity.
The whole right half side of the store, where the fruit and vegetable section leads to the meat section in the back, was absolutely packed. One shopper was calmly navigating the wild (yet calm) waters. She identified as a couponer; she was looking for good deals. With big eyes, she said she found them. Five-pound bags of potatoes for less than a dollar moved fast, but nothing compared to the full slabs of pork spare ribs for 67 cents a pound. Every cart appeared to have at least one rack.
We asked H-E-B's public relations department for a final number on the spare ribs yesterday: How many pounds did they move? "We cannot share our sales numbers but can confidently say we are pleased with our meat sales on Opening Day," responded Mabrie Jackson, capitalizing the day like they're the MLB, which maybe they are. Of grocery stores anyway.
Amidst the shoppers, who included full families and groups of friends pointing out deals to one another, Joe V's employees were constantly restocking popular items and were readily available. The store was busy, but not chaotic. Packed but manageable. The outer ring of the store, where all the fresh food is kept, was more crowded than the processed-food aisles in the middle.
Grocery Store Games
The building that houses Joe V's was originally an Albertson's that opened in 1985 and closed in 2004. For two decades, the space has sat empty, leaving this neighborhood with few fresh grocery options, none ideal. The abandoned building was as a blight on the community. For years the city of Dallas has explored solutions to address food insecurity in this area and to breathe life into the grocery store options in southern Dallas. Discount stores have come and gone over the years. And while Joe V's is a discount store, it parlays its massive buying power of more than 435 H-E-B stores and $43 billion in annual sales to offer a wide selection of streamlined inventory at good prices.
The relief at the store on Wednesday was palpable.
Another thing that H-E-B brings to a community, aside from 250 jobs, is a bit of philanthropy. As part of the opening, Joe V's Smart Shop donated $10,000 each to Harmony Food Pantry and Resource Center in Dallas, the Duncanville ISD Panther Pantry and Duncanville Outreach Ministries/Food Bank. Joe V's also donated a book vending machine to nearby McNair Elementary School, stocked with 500 free books for kids.
Price Pressure on Aisle 4
A few observations from a longtime shopper is that prices are tremendously better at Joe V's. Let's take peanut butter and jelly, the baseline for civilization. At Joe V's, a 16-ounce jar of Peter Pan is $2.18 and at H-E-B the jar is $2.75. Tom Thumb? $3.59. Kroger sells it for $2.99. A 32-ounce jar of Joe V's Hill Country Fare jelly is $3.14. Tom Thumb's Select 18-ounce jar is $3.99 and Kroger's 18-ounce brand is $2.99. Joe V's also mingles some of its H-E-B brand names, like the higher-end More Fruit for $2.88, offering shoppers some elevated choices along the way (get that good jam).
An 18-ounce box of Frosted Mini-Wheats at Kroger is $5.79; Tom Thumb sells it for $6.29. Joe V's sells it for $3.67.
Added up over the year, especially for big families (and by big, we mean more than two people), these are substantial savings.
The great grocery hope is a spate of new H-E-B stores across North Texas, and now Joe V's in southern Dallas County (another is set to open next year) will force other stores to lower prices.
The second location of Joe V's will open next spring at 5204 S. Buckner Blvd., at the intersection with Samuell Boulevard.
Joe V's Smart Shop, 4101 W. Wheatland Road. Daily, 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
