<p>H-E-B is pulling out all the stops this year as the grocery chain divulges its plans to <B>greatly expand and remodel</b> in its hometown. By the end of the year, H-E-B anticipates debuting <B>22 new stores and major renovations</b> throughout the Texas market, according to San Antonio Express-News.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Many of these updates include modern enhancements such as restaurants, pharmacy lanes, and full-service bakeries, for example. This isn’t the first time H-E-B has decided to go for a more modern look for its supermarkets. Previously, we reported that the company had decided to remodel one of its oldest existing stores to make way for a 21st century makeover that includes two levels of retail space and three times the space for merchandise. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.andnowuknow.com/buyside-news/oldest-h-e-b-store-receive-modern-upgrade/christofer-oberst" target="_new"> Oldest H-E-B Store to Receive a Modern Upgrade </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p> “H-E-B is a <B>very aggressive and dynamic</b> retailer,” said spokeswoman Dya Campos. “We are continuously changing, innovating, and creating new store designs and concepts.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> The retailer is opening a new <B>91,000 square foot</b> San Antonio store on Friday – the first H-E-B opening in the area in two years. The store features expanded produce, deli, and meat markets, as well as fresh sushi, flame-grilled chicken, and handmade sandwich stations that the company developed in-house, the San Antonio Express-News reports. Take a look at this timeline to see what the retailer has in store for 2014…<img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hebtime.jpg" alt="Cropped 042114" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> With other retailers like Wal-Mart, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi moving in to the Texas market, H-E-B is going to have to find some way to gain an edge over the competition. The company has registered more than <B>1,000 trademarks</b> with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office such as “My H-E-B” or “H-E-Buddy.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> “There is a tendency for all stores – all retailers, not just supermarkets – to imitate each other quickly. So you have to keep raising the bar to look special,” said Betsy Gelb, a professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. “Trademarking is just one of those moves, if you will. You’re playing chess all the time, and you’re trying to <B>stay ahead of the competition.</b>”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> How will these updated stores perform against the likes of Wal-Mart, Trader Joe’s, or Aldi? We’ll just have to wait and see as the competition heats up…</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.heb.com/index.jsp" target="_new"> H-E-B </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
