From left: Jerry Rymont, SN publisher and vice president of the Food Group of parent company Penton Media; Paula Correy, chief customer officer, Hy-Vee; David Orgel, editor-in-chief, SN; Hy-Vee’s Jon Wendel, executive vice president, West Region, Randy Edeker, CEO, and Tom Watson, executive vice president, East Region; Unilever’s (the award sponsor) Ari Labell, director, Central Division, and Joe Cavaliere, senior vice president of Customer Development; Hy-Vee’s Ron Taylor, executive vice president, North Region, and Donna Tweeten, vice president, Brand Image; and Unilever’s Eric Baskin, Hy-Vee Team Leader.

More than 400 people, including over 200 store directors, were on hand for the award presentation and a lunch during the retailer’s meeting of store directors.

Hy-Vee CEO Randy Edeker addressed the large audience of company attendees.

From left: Joe Cavaliere, Unilever; Randy Edeker, Hy-Vee; Eric Baskin and Ari Labell, Unilever.

Unilever’s Joe Cavaliere congratulated Hy-Vee for its achievements.

Hy-Vee’s CEO Randy Edeker.

Left to right: Tom Watson, Ron Taylor, Randy Edeker, Paula Correy, Jon Wendel.

Hy-Vee is using social media tools both to monitor customer feedback and to provide information such as cooking tips. Many of the chain’s individual stores maintain their own Twitter accounts, a reflection of the chain’s autonomous, decentralized structure.

Hy-Vee said its new private-label craft beer line, Baraboo, has been very successful, as have its new entry-level private-label wine offerings.

Hy-Vee’s HealthMarket sections have been experiencing double-digit growth year after year.

Hy-Vee is focusing on some departments, such as HBC, that other chains have ceded to rivals.

A nostalgic candy section creates a store-within-a-store ambiance.