The inspiring story of a resilient Texas grocery chain running in the chaos of Hurricane Harvey

In Texas, a grocery chain is now inspiring memes.

One goes like this: “State and federal resources are struggling to get into impacted areas. H.E.B. — outta the way, we’re coming.”

Another adds: “I’ll see your FEMA and Red Cross and raise you my Texas grocery store chain.”

The images refer to the largest grocer in the state, H-E-B, with about 350 stores scattered throughout Texas and Mexico.

At a time when retail watchers question the future of brick-and-mortar stores due to Amazon’s continued ascendance, the 112-year-old retailer is drawing widespread praise after managing to open 60 of its 83 stores in Houston last Sunday, hours after Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas as a Category 4 storm. (Now, 79 of the 83 stores are open.)

The behind-the-scenes operation, as he told me, is a complicated dance involving multiple command centers, a helicopter, private planes, military style vehicles and frequent calls to suppliers, urging them to send toilet paper — and to skip the Funyuns.

Source: LinkedIn Pulse