Hy-Vee changes grocery delivery fees for Des Moines metro customers

Hy-Vee Inc. is increasing what it charges Des Moines-area customers for online grocery pickup and delivery.

The West Des Moines-based company said as of last week, orders over $100 delivered within a 4-hour time period will get free delivery.

Shoppers wanting their orders within a 2-hour window will pay $7.99 and within an hour window, $9.99.

Orders less than $100 will pay a $5.99 fee for a 4-hour window, $9.99 for a 2-hour window and $12.99 for an hour window, the company said.

“The change also makes store pickup more affordable by lowering the threshold for free pickup to $50,” the company said in an email. “As a result, customers can make smaller pickup orders more often without worrying about being charged a fee each time they use the service at the store.”

Hy-Vee launched its Aisles Online program in 2015. Until last week, the company charged $4.95 for delivery and $2.95 for store pickup for online orders under $100. Orders over $100 did not have the extra fees.

The company said because the service was so popular it needed to increase the scheduled times it delivered groceries to be able to better plan delivery routes.

“In addition, widening the delivery window reduces the possibility of customers being shut out when popular delivery slots (6 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. Saturday, etc.) fill up,” the company stated.

Walmart and Target both offer online grocery shopping in the Des Moines area but neither offer delivery.

The online grocery market is growing nationally, with Amazon expanding its reach to local markets with its recent merger with Whole Foods. Amazon has indicated it would allow its customers to pick up online orders at Whole Foods stores.

When Hy-Vee launched its online grocery program two years ago, the response was more than Hy-Vee expected. "It stunned us how many people wanted to use it," said Randy Edeker, Hy-Vee chief executive in an interview with the Register in 2015. "It's the next phase of how people are going to shop.”

The program was so successful that the company built a fulfillment center in Urbandale to help ease pressure on store employees who gather orders for online orders.