H-E-B opened its third Joe V’s Smart Shop in the DFW Metroplex on Nov. 21, bringing the discount grocery format to Irving with a 57,920-square-foot store at 2407 W. Airport Freeway.
The location occupies the site of a former 24 Hour Fitness gym that closed in 2020 during the COIVD-19 pandemic. H-E-B invested about $10 million in renovations that began in March, according to filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
“We all know that high grocery prices have placed a heavy burden on many families in our city, state and nation,” Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer said during a ribbon-cutting event Nov. 20. “Joe V’s will provide vital relief.”
The store has tailored its assortment to surrounding South Asian and Latino populations with 20-pound rice bags, corn masa, various cheeses, okra, dragon fruit, peppers and ghee.
It offers fresh produce, in-store cut meats, tortillas and bread made daily and fresh sushi alongside organic selections.
“We bring in the best of the best of H-E-B at even better prices and then try to find the assortment that the customer wants,” said Justin Tippett, COO of Joe V’s Smart Shop.
“The Irving area is very dense, populated and needs more grocery stores, and so we wanted to be a part of that and serve this community.”
The smaller format store still includes full grocery departments with produce, meat and dairy but focuses on high-velocity items.
Joe V’s maintains prices 10-20 percent lower than traditional H-E-B stores through operational efficiencies, including purchasing full truckloads and shipping directly to stores to eliminate warehouse costs.
“We focus on the items customers want; we focus on the tonnage and that really helps us keep our costs low,” said Roxanne Orsak, H-E-B’s chief operating officer. “We don’t have to inventory products that don’t sell.”
The opening follows Joe V’s first North Texas store that debuted in June 2024 at 4101 W. Wheatland Road in South Dallas. A second Dallas location followed in March at Buckner and Samuell boulevards on the city’s east side, employing more than 232 people.
Joe V’s operates 14 stores with 11 in the Houston area and three in North Texas.
San Antonio-based H-E-B continues North Texas expansion with about 10 flagship stores open in the four-county Metroplex core.
The retailer recently opened its second Frisco location and has additional sites planned for Mid-Cities, the Hillcrest area, Forney, Murphy and Rockwall. The company also welcomed its 10th namesake store in Rockwall in October.
Joe V’s Smart Shop operates as part of H-E-B’s multiformat strategy, alongside Central Market upscale stores and Mi Tienda Hispanic-focused locations. H-E-B reported $43.6 billion in revenue in 2023 across its 435 total stores.
[RELATED: H-E-B Debuts 11th Joe V’s Smart Shop In Houston Area]
