Hy-Vee is trimming the hours its downtown store by one-third, responding to declining morning and evening traffic and what a spokesperson said has been an increase “in theft and loitering.”
The 420 Court Ave. store was previously open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Effective Monday, the store’s hours became 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the spokesperson, Tina Pothoff, confirmed.
“Since the pandemic, the number of customers we serve during the early morning and evening hours has significantly decreased at this location as more people who previously worked downtown now work from home,” Pothoff said in an email. “Additionally, theft and loitering at this location has increasingly become a problem, especially after 6 p.m. To put this into perspective, Des Moines Police were contacted for various incidents at the store more than 200 times over the last 6 months.
“We are making changes to ensure the safety of our customers and employees,” Pothoff added. “We will continue to evaluate this store’s hours of operation and layout to accommodate the needs of the downtown community.”