MINNEAPOLIS — Shoppers will no longer be able to make those middle-of-the-night grocery runs to Hy-Vee. The Iowa-based company announced that most of its 265 stores across the eight-state Midwest region would not be open 24 hours effective Monday, Feb. 10.

“We have changed our hours to reallocate several team members to be available to assist customers during busier shopping times each day,” said Christina Gayman, director of public relations at Hy-Vee. “Changes vary by store/market throughout our eight-state region.” She added that no employees will be laid off but will be moved to different shifts and stockers will still work overnight.

Most larger Hy-Vee stores will be closed from midnight to 5 a.m., while some smaller stores will close at 11 p.m.

The number of 24-hour supermarkets continues to decline both locally and nationally. Analysts believe it’s due to online ordering and delivery, fewer customers shopping overnight, and an increase in shoplifting.

“It’s also about the rising minimum wage and saving dollars,” said Phil Lempert, Supermarket Guru analyst, television, radio, and newspaper reporter, and food marketing expert.

Consumers don’t have many choices when it comes to round-the-clock grocery stores around the country. A few Cub Foods locations in the Twin Cities are open 24 hours but all Lunds & Byerly’s stores now close at midnight. Even Walmart, Albertsons and Wegmans have dropped their overnight schedules across the U.S, including in Las Vegas.

“Customer shopping decreases overnight at any 24/7 business,” Gayman said. She stated that Hy-Vee is “constantly evaluating store operations.”

Headquartered in West Des Moines, IA, Hy-Vee ranks as number 35 on Forbes’ 2019 list of America’s largest privately held companies, with revenues of $10.1 billion. About half of the chain’s stores are in Iowa, with the rest spread throughout Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The company employs more than 83,000 people in the Midwest.