While traveling recently in Minnesota, I had to visit one of Hy-Vee’s newer stores. The chain consists of approximately 250 stores, and the ones in Minneapolis have received high praise for delivering a superior shopping experience. I’ll tell you, the praise is justified. The store in Robbinsdale was something special. The perimeter is a core focus. Themed mini-restaurants with ample seating space all seemed packed the evening I was there. I’d even go as far as to say the store has a leg up on Wegmans and Mariano’s, which are accepted as the standard. And while I have been critical of supermarkets for being slow in making the center-store departments more experiential, Hy-Vee is making strides. Steve Frenda, managing director – community development for the Path to Purchase Institute, has been a passionate retail watcher for more than four decades. Having worked as a retailer, for a brand manufacturer and in the infotech world, he is an authority on the entire path to purchase and its changing face. Contact Steve at sfrenda@p2pi.org.