WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee, Inc. announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with Johnson Fitness & Wellness to open in-store fitness equipment showrooms in select locations across its eight-state region.

This is the first partnership in the U.S. between a grocery retailer and a fitness equipment company, with the first location opening Tuesday, Sept. 14 inside the Grimes Hy-Vee in Grimes, Iowa, with several additional locations scheduled to open by the end of 2021.

Each in-store showroom at Hy-Vee will feature several types of fitness equipment for customers to view and try for themselves including treadmills, elliptical machines, exercise bikes and more. The showroom will be digitally supported, with a kiosk and QR codes available for customers to use to order from the Johnson Fitness & Wellness online platform. Free curbside home shipping is available for most items, and in-home delivery and installation is available for an additional cost.

Johnson Fitness & Wellness is the largest specialty fitness retailer in the U.S., headquartered in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. It offers a wide selection of award-winning fitness and wellness products from brands including Matrix Fitness, Vision Fitness, Horizon Fitness, Synca Wellness and more. The retailer offers equipment for all ages and stages of life and is committed to helping individuals find the best equipment that will help them achieve their health goals.

“As part of our mission to making customers’ lives easier, healthier and happier, we are deeply invested in the health and wellness journey of our customers,” said Randy Edeker, chairman, CEO and president of Hy-Vee. “Our new partnership with Johnson Fitness & Wellness allows us to diversify and expand upon our current health offerings to provide our customers with all the tools they need to live a healthy lifestyle.”

Hy-Vee has been a longtime leader in the health and wellness space, providing pharmacy services to patients for more than 50 years. The retailer also employs dietitians who can offer customers nutritional resources, and features in-store HealthMarket departments for customers to shop nutritional and diet-specific products.

“We’re excited to partner with Hy-Vee, who shares our mission of enhancing the lives of our customers through healthy choices,” said Bob Zande, president of Johnson Fitness & Wellness. “This unique opportunity allows customers to get hands-on experience with high-quality, high-value fitness solutions where they already shop every week, and the online kiosk allows for them to easily have the equipment delivered to their home.”