Hy-Vee, Kansas City Royals End Sports Marketing Partnership After 15 Years
November 30, 2016 | News & Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (Nov. 30, 2016) — After a 15-year sponsorship of the Kansas City Royals, Hy-Vee, Inc. has decided not to renew its contract with the Major League Baseball team.
“After several weeks of meetings and negotiations, we were unable to come to an agreement on the terms of a new contract,” said Donna Tweeten, executive vice president, chief marketing officer and chief customer officer at Hy-Vee. “While we are disappointed to end our long-standing relationship, we couldn’t justify spending the amount that was being asked without it impacting our customers in the long run. We have to be fiscally responsible when evaluating our sponsorships and this offer simply didn’t fit that criteria.”
Hy-Vee has been the exclusive grocery sponsor of the Kansas City Royals since 2001. Through the years, the supermarket chain has produced commercials, hosted special events for baseball fans in the Kansas City area, and created in-stadium and outdoor signage as well as in-store promotions to showcase the baseball team and increase fan support.
“Despite this loss, we will move forward by sponsoring and supporting other sports and entertainment options in the Kansas City area,” Tweeten said. “In the weeks ahead, we will evaluate where we can create future partnerships that are a good fit for our customers, the local community and our company.”
Hy-Vee’s contract with the Kansas City Royals officially ended in October.
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Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 240 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $9.3 billion annually. Hy-Vee ranks among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. Supermarket News, the authoritative voice of the food industry, has honored the company with a Whole Health Enterprise Award for its leadership in providing services and programs that promote a healthy lifestyle. For more information, visit www.hy-vee.com.