Big Y

[retailisking]

Stop & Shop's time in Gardner became numbered in 2012 when two things happened: Hannaford got a liquor license when Massachusetts increased its cap on stores and Price Chopper opened two blocks behind the Hannaford. With hindsight, I wonder why Hannaford just didn't move the mile down the street into the ex-Stop & Shop but at the same time I do realize why they didn't given access to downtown Gardner and to Route 2. Market Basket opening in Athol in 2015, one of the locations that helped fuel that spat that nearly took the company down, was the last nail in the coffin since Gardner itself was isolated for Stop & Shop.

I think that if Big Y had the appetite to do so, they would've taken more of the Ahold Delhaize rejects especially since they have more brand equity in that part of the Mid-Hudson Valley than Tops ever will. What they took was the most they could handle and even 18 months in most of those locations still look like Zombie Hannafords and that was a semi-cohesive unit versus a random collection of stores, two of which could've easily survived as-was.

Now that you mention it, perhaps Gardner has all the supermarkets it can support as it is.

[giantsfan2016]

Big Y has opened it's first Connecticut Big Y Express gas station in Stafford Springs.

http://www.theshelbyreport.com/2018/07/09/big-y-opens-first-connecticut-express-store/

[giantsfan2016]

Big Y just completed renovations of their Spencer, Massachusetts store.

[JJBers]

Big Y has opened it's first Connecticut Big Y Express gas station in Stafford Springs.

http://www.theshelbyreport.com/2018/07/09/big-y-opens-first-connecticut-express-store/

That was under construction when I stopped by the Stafford location

[giantsfan2016]

My Mom and I went to the Big Y in Cheshire today. Didn't buy anything. It seems like they did a good job using the little space they have. Maybe they should take over the adjacent empty space.

[standa]

Big Y will open in Milford, CT.

https://www.nhregister.com/metro/article/Big-Y-supermarket-coming-to-Milford-13467532.php

[Joeg]

When is the Big Y in Marlbourgh and Orange CT supposed to open??

[Bdubs]

Marlborough is due to open in January. It’s about 95% complete.

[Scrabbleship]

https://www.courant.com/business/hc-biz-big-y-plastic-bags-2020-20190108-beyfcxzeezcczkutt3vnhd6woq-story.html

Big Y will phase out single-use plastic bags in 2020. This on the heels of a growing number of cities and towns in Massachusetts banning said bags and the possibility of a statewide ban.

[JimSawhill]

Marlborough is due to open in January. It’s about 95% complete.

Where is the Marlborough Big Y?

[Bdubs]

Marlborough is due to open in January. It’s about 95% complete.

Where is the Marlborough Big Y?

Jim, it’s right off of Route 2, at the 4 corners behind the Marlborough Tavern. There was a small strip mall with an independent grocery store there, but had closed a few years ago and most of the strip was just sitting empty. 

They just had their grand opening this past Thursday.

[giantsfan2016]

Big Y has eliminated the gold coins.

https://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2018/12/big_y_eliminates_gold_coins.html

[BillyGr]

Big Y is closing their store in Adams, MA (as reported tonight by WTEN out of Albany, NY).

This is the only store in town, but was a smaller store and it didn't work with their current model.

Residents now must travel to a Walmart on the border of Adams/North Adams, or another Big Y in North Adams as their nearest options for shopping, which may be an issue particularly for seniors in town.

The building is being sold to another operator, but no word yet as to what it will be used as.

[Scrabbleship]

Big Y is closing their store in Adams, MA (as reported tonight by WTEN out of Albany, NY).

This is the only store in town, but was a smaller store and it didn't work with their current model.

If memory serves me right, this location is one of the locations Big Y bought from the locally based Adams chain in the mid 80s and the only one not to see significant renovation or replacement. IIRC, North Adams, Pittsfield, and Great Barrington also came in said deal.

Big Y's involvement in Adams seemed to be a charity case at best. The location was about 1/3 the size of an average Big Y location, the inventory was quite limited, and the hours limited too (9-7 weekdays, 9-5 Saturdays, 11-3 Sundays). This when the North Adams Big Y is 7-9 daily and the other Berkshire Big Y locations are 7-10.

[retailisking]

Adams Hometown Market is taking over the closed Big Y in Adams, MA
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/59446/Grocery-Chain-Expects-to-Open-This-Month-in-Adams-Big-Y.html

[BillyGr]

Big Y is closing their store in Adams, MA (as reported tonight by WTEN out of Albany, NY).

This is the only store in town, but was a smaller store and it didn't work with their current model.

If memory serves me right, this location is one of the locations Big Y bought from the locally based Adams chain in the mid 80s and the only one not to see significant renovation or replacement. IIRC, North Adams, Pittsfield, and Great Barrington also came in said deal.

Big Y's involvement in Adams seemed to be a charity case at best. The location was about 1/3 the size of an average Big Y location, the inventory was quite limited, and the hours limited too (9-7 weekdays, 9-5 Saturdays, 11-3 Sundays). This when the North Adams Big Y is 7-9 daily and the other Berkshire Big Y locations are 7-10.

Adams Hometown Market is taking over the closed Big Y in Adams, MA
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/59446/Grocery-Chain-Expects-to-Open-This-Month-in-Adams-Big-Y.html

Interesting - coming originally from a chain named Adams, now being sold to a different chain also named Adams (which is primarily in CT, with prior to this one store in RI and one in MA but much closer to the CT line), all while being in a place called Adams... :)

It may be good, though, as many times stores under the IGA banner are somewhat smaller than other supermarkets so they probably have more experience with making that type of store work than a chain used to larger facilities does - plus a benefit to those in the town with limited transport options to get to other stores to at least have something nearby.

[giantsfan2016]

The Big Y in Plainville, CT is getting a major remodel. While they changed some stuff around over the years this is the firs major remodel since they opened in 93 or 94.

[Everything Community]

This World Class Market in East Windsor, CT, might've been opened approx. 20 years ago. Still mirrors the original interior layout.

[Everything Community]

Close-up of these employees in portraits that are still hung up at the Customer Service area.

[Everything Community]

Here's the former Big Y World Class Market in Waterford, CT that is currently occupied by the Ocean State Job Lot! It was opened in August 2002, moved out in early 2008. It became the current OSJL in spring 2009. Very weird that OSJL chose that store so that there wouldn't have to do any remodels once they took over this store. Here are our pics from our visit earlier this year!

For more information about the former Big Y, here is the link:
https://brandsrusblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/big-y-waterford-ct.html

[JimSawhill]

This World Class Market in East Windsor, CT, might've been opened approx. 20 years ago. Still mirrors the original interior layout.

I used to work there after I was transferred from the East Hartford Big Y... After a year, I was transferred back to East Hartford Big Y...

[Everything Community]

Close-up of these employees in portraits that are still hung up at the Customer Service area.

Here's that similar layout seen at Big Y in Ellington, CT. It is one of two stores (that I know of) that still use that outdated World Class layout. All of those ladies and gentlemen seemed to care about the World Class service. Photo taken today!

[Bdubs]

Close-up of these employees in portraits that are still hung up at the Customer Service area.

Here's that similar layout seen at Big Y in Ellington, CT. It is one of two stores (that I know of) that still use that outdated World Class layout. All of those ladies and gentlemen seemed to care about the World Class service. Photo taken today!

I remember when that store opened, it was one of their biggest stores at the time in CT.  As an outside vendor I opened a ton of stores around CT from Big Y’s, Stop n Shops, CVS, etc in the 2005-2010 time frame.

[Scrabbleship]

Two nuggets of Big Y-related news. One not that much of a shocker.

https://www.masslive.com/business/2019/07/big-y-to-stop-giving-out-single-use-bags-on-aug-1.html

Big Y's 2021 phaseout of single use plastic bags has been accelerated to August 1st, spurred on by a looming Connecticut state phaseout of said bags and many Massachusetts towns banning them.

The other a bit more of a shocker:
https://www.patriotledger.com/news/20190716/wollaston-supermarket-moving-out-as-lease-expires

Big Y will vacate their North Quincy later this year upon the end of their lease, acquired from Hannaford in 2016.. They do have plans to relocate somewhere in the area once they can find the space to build or move in, no word was said about the fate of their license to sell beer and wine (plus liquor which they don't currently sell).

While North Quincy did well on sales, Big Y did zero in terms of renovations and the store looks the EXACT same as it did when Hannaford renovated it when they took over from Victory in 2004. There was talk of them acquiring the former Rite Aid site next door but those probably fell through. A shame, since that part of Quincy has no other non-Asian options on that side of the MBTA tracks.

This makes me wonder for the three other ex-Hannaford locations that have seen no renovations - Norwood, Peabody, and Saugus. Norwood could very well be toast, especially with Walpole only a few miles away. While Peabody seems to do fine, Saugus is in a similar boat as Quincy was - there's a vacant Rite Aid next door and the landlord there might be playing hardball. Fun thing is that a site elsewhere in town may be opening up that could be to their advantage.

[Brammy]

The Big Y in Plainville, CT is getting a major remodel. While they changed some stuff around over the years this is the firs major remodel since they opened in 93 or 94.

The remodel is now complete and they had a grand reopening.

http://www.bristolpress.com/BP-Plainville+News/358833/from-lower-shelves-to-an-expanded-selection-plainville-big-y-celebrates-its-grand-reopening-with-state-town-and-corporate-leaders

[Brammy]

In Cheshire, Connecticut BIG Y broke through the walls of an adjacent vacant store front to expand their store. An expanded Organic section and new coffee bar are in the works. Work began in December and should be done by March.

https://patch.com/connecticut/cheshire/big-y-expanding-cheshire-report

[Everything Community]

Tolland, CT

[Everything Community]

Big Y is a regional supermarket chain based in New England that also runs gas stations / convenience stores in some municipalities that have Big Y supermarket stores nearby these gas stations. These places are known as Big Y Express. The first Big Y Express opened in 2013 somewhere in Massachusetts. In addition to these mini stores with gas pumps, in a couple of Big Y Express stores do they offer car washes though in a separate building from the actual convenience store.

Here are some pictures listed here of Big Y Express amenities in Ellington which include but not limited to gas pumps, a car wash service station, and even LuAnn's Bakery Drive-Thru Shop which is inside of Big Y Express.You cannot see attachments on this board.You cannot see attachments on this board.You cannot see attachments on this board.You cannot see attachments on this board.   

[AmesNewington]

Plans were submitted for approval for a new Big Y location in Middletown, CT at 850 South Main Street, the site of a former Frontier building. The location is down the road from the Durham town line. I found this interesting, because in 2010, Big Y purchased the former A&P Foodmart location on Washington Street and never opened in that space. Big Lots, Petco and Xfinity since took over the building. Perhaps this area of Middletown was of no interest to them, as the demographics in that section of town did not fit their business model. Also, the Rocky Hill store is closer to Washington Street than their proposed site on South Main. They cited that there weren't many options for groceries down where they plan to open.

 https://www.middletownpress.com/middletown/article/Big-Y-gets-wetlands-approval-for-proposed-17354007.php

[BillyGr]

Big Y is a regional supermarket chain based in New England that also runs gas stations / convenience stores in some municipalities that have Big Y supermarket stores nearby these gas stations. These places are known as Big Y Express. The first Big Y Express opened in 2013 somewhere in Massachusetts. In addition to these mini stores with gas pumps, in a couple of Big Y Express stores do they offer car washes though in a separate building from the actual convenience store.

The first one was in Lee, MA, just around the corner from a then fairly new Big Y supermarket.
That one is far smaller than this, as they took over an existing gas station and the building is what used to be a couple garages for repairs. 
Of course, with the main store so close there that is always an option for those who can't find items at the express location.