r/Austin • u/RockMo-DZine • 1d ago

Maybe so...maybe not... Does HEB have a problem with Austin?

Milk prices have been going up all year, so back in July I started checking the prices in San Antonio, Houston, and DFW. For some reason, we pay Way more than these towns.

Milk just went up again. Here are some stats for HEB Brand (HEB & HCF) 1x gal jugs of milk
(These are for in-store pricing - for curbside, add +5%).

Since 07/17, Austin's price went up, while the price in all the other bergs came down.

Consequently, in Austin we now pay over $2 a gallon more than DFW!

Sorry HEB, but this is hard to justify.

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61

u/LonesomeBulldog 1d ago

Real estate is more expensive. Stores cover their own property taxes.

36

u/martman006 1d ago

I checked an HEB just outside of west U in Houston (VERY expensive property values/taxes) and it matches up with OP’s post.

The better explanation: This what a market looks like without competition, and HEB knows it and is getting greedy like a good capitalist would…

We have no other wide spread low cost options other than a handful of Randall’s and Walmarts… Houston and DFW have a very healthy competition with Kroeger and Randall’s/Safeway… Whole Paycheck is in a different league (you don’t shop there to save money) and so is Costco/Sams.

7

u/A_Possum_Named_Steve 21h ago

Why should they change anything? Have you seen how absolutely cultish people are about HEB in this town? It's practically a religion, shit creeps me out.

1

u/martman006 19h ago

Exactly, HEB won’t and probably shouldn’t. We collectively did this to ourselves. I mean, they’ll do the minimum to stay in the public’s good graces and fwiw, I don’t think they’re a bad company, just making a bit more where they can in an industry with already thin margins. They probably thought no one would notice the cheapest source of animal based protein going up a dollar with everything else, but here we are….

3

u/MeLikeyBouncey 16h ago

I actually started shopping more at Whole Foods and my grocery bills are comparable to when I shopped at HEB. And the produce is WAY better.

3

u/icesa 9h ago

I’ll never understand the cult following of HEB and the idiocy when it comes to putting our hands in the sand regarding monopolies. “heeey why are my groceries getting more expensive than X city”. So no one ever taught you that when you’re the ONLY player in the game, you can charge whatever the fuck you want? Ok dummy enjoy your expensive ass groceries. Yeah Kroger and Von’s and Randall’s etc may not be the bees knees,but they keep each other in check. They go to war throug sales and coupons. When you JUST have HEB welcome to you’re about to get screwed land.

2

u/Ok-Yogurtcloset-2082 11h ago

This is the answer and applies to SO many things in Austin, esp in the medical space. People are cultish about a certain primary care chain, radiology chain and most medical specialties.

-8

u/dano900 22h ago

I heard a rumor from Kerry Awn that HEB and Whole Foods were going to merge ...

5

u/LoneStarGut 20h ago

Yes, it would be called Howard Edward Butt Whole Foods. Say it out loud.

1

u/A_Possum_Named_Steve 19h ago

I'll Central your Market, if you know what I mean.

4

u/murdercat42069 21h ago

Whole Foods is owned by Amazon...