Big Y

[retailisking]

In another bold move that may or may not pay off, Big Y is going full-service at all of its checkouts by the end of the year
http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2011/09/big_y_to_eliminate_all_self-checkout_kio.html

[RoleModel]

In another bold move that may or may not pay off, Big Y is going full-service at all of its checkouts by the end of the year
http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2011/09/big_y_to_eliminate_all_self-checkout_kio.html

It's a solid idea. A lot of Shoprites in my area don't have self-checkouts and instead rely on having a good amount of cashiers. Stop & Shop on the other hand is clearly on the other side of this argument, with lots of self-checkouts and Scan-Its taking the place of a few cashiers.

[retailisking]

Lee, MA opens next month.  Will the tiny Price Chopper on Main Street survive?
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/local/ci_19027183

[standa]

Maybe that's why their Grand Opening sales seemed to go on for months.  Obviously, people who liked Shoprite have not lost it, they just have drive a little further south to get to it.  This means that Big Y is sort of a replacement for Shaw's.  I wonder if it will close in not too long, like the Waterford store in the former Shaw's.  I think Big Y is the most expensive of chains, with Shoprite being the least expensive, and Stop & Shop in the middle.  The Hamden Shoprite seems to always be at least twice as busy as Shaw's was, however Stop & Shop seems to have remained busy too.  I think people come to Shoprite from a wider area.

[AmesNewington]

In a way, I am glad Big Y didn't hire me. I really don't care for working at SR in WH because of the clientel and area, but SR is pretty fair and gave me a chance. To me, SR is a decent replacement for A&P/Waldbaums in the area.

[Scrabbleship]

He was telling me that sales have more than tripled in the years since Shaw's in Canton became Shoprite.

ShopRite has that effect on stores they take over. The same thing is happening with the ex-Superfreshes they bought in Maryland as their sales have been up as ShopRite has been advertising heavily on Baltimore and DC radio and it's been working.

With their expansion into Baltimore, their toes dipped into the DC suburbs, and their reentry into the Albany market, ShopRite has a very good chance to grow into a major player especially if they can get a bunch of stores when A&P inevitably goes belly-up and/or the Fresh & Green's debacle in Maryland implodes.

As for Big Y to get this back on topic, they have their niche. They're the Giant Eagle of New England, quirky, slightly overpriced, but with loyalty programs that should be classified as addictive substances. In the long run, they and Price Chopper would make good bedfellows as the two don't overlap that much and the Big Y brand can be used for more "upscale" locations.

[RoleModel]

With their expansion into Baltimore, their toes dipped into the DC suburbs, and their reentry into the Albany market, ShopRite has a very good chance to grow into a major player especially if they can get a bunch of stores when A&P inevitably goes belly-up and/or the Fresh & Green's debacle in Maryland implodes.

They're also +3 on LI locations since the beginning of the year, and they've signed a lease for one more that I know of. I would not be surprised in five years or so if it's just Ahold and Shoprite duking it out for the #1 spot.

[Scrabbleship]

With their expansion into Baltimore, their toes dipped into the DC suburbs, and their reentry into the Albany market, ShopRite has a very good chance to grow into a major player especially if they can get a bunch of stores when A&P inevitably goes belly-up and/or the Fresh & Green's debacle in Maryland implodes.

They're also +3 on LI locations since the beginning of the year, and they've signed a lease for one more that I know of. I would not be surprised in five years or so if it's just Ahold and Shoprite duking it out for the #1 spot.

I think that King Kullen is a little better off than Waldbaums/Pathmark and that another chain buying a controlling share in them (probably a fellow Topco member*) would keep things somewhat competitive. A Stop & Shop/ShopRite duopoly would be only bad news in the long run especially in a market with money such as Long Island.

* Given geography, my guess would be Price Chopper or Big Y.

[retailisking]

This Boston Globe story about the move away from self-checkouts focuses on the Walpole, MA Big Y
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2011/11/09/some-supermarkets-are-bagging-use-self-checkout/v39xqq20qoWKirBV6skPPM/story.html

[JimSawhill]

big y in east hartford in the northern part

Does anyone knows if there's a new store in it yet? I heard Big Y closed.

[JimSawhill]

That is true... they do treat there employees badly... (Used to work at BIG Y in East Windsor).

[JimSawhill]

About 6 weeks ago while working at SR in Southington I got a visit from a friend who works at SR in Canton. (He worked with me when the SR in Southington was Shaw's). He was telling me that sales have more than tripled in the years since Shaw's in Canton became Shoprite. He also told me quite a few people who worked at Big Y in Avon came over to work for Shoprite in Canton. Says Big Y treats their employees very poorly.

That is true... they do treat there employees badly... (Used to work at BIG Y in East Windsor).

Did anyone move into the old Big Y in East Hartford?? Northern East Hartford needs a supermarket!!

[ynkeesfn82]

Big Y will be building a store in Simsbury, CT. They are buying the former Wagner Ford Property on Hopmeadow Street.

http://simsbury.patch.com/articles/big-y-announces-plans-for-new-simsbury-location

[Joeg]

Another "rich area" for Big Y.  Are they opening in Franklin MA this week?  How is the Merdien CT store doing??

[JimSawhill]

Big Y will be building a store in Simsbury, CT. They are buying the former Wagner Ford Property on Hopmeadow Street.

http://simsbury.patch.com/articles/big-y-announces-plans-for-new-simsbury-location

What happened to Wagner Ford??

[ynkeesfn82]

They went out of business several years ago.

[Joeg]

I think their new store in Franklin MA is opening soon.

[JimSawhill]

They went out of business several years ago.

Jeez...Wow...I wonder what happened (unless it was the economy that killed them). I remembered that Gary Burgdoff (Radar O'Rielly of MASH) did ads for them.

There used to be another (a Pontiac dealer) dealership on Hopmeadow near where the old Canal branch of the New Haven RR crossed. (I think it became a Volvo dealer the last time I was there.)

[retailisking]

The Big Y in Franklin opened today.
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1405832081/Big-Y-draws-big-crowd-in-Franklin

[retailisking]

One of two Big Ys in South Hadley, MA is closing; it's a former A&P that Big Y has operated since 2003. The lease is up and they decided not to renew.
http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2013/01/big_y_to_close_newton_street_store_in_so.html

[AmesNewington]

Big Y is now deciding to remodel its West Hartford location in Bishop's Corner, I would say largely due to the fact that Walmart Neighborhood Market is opening across the street soon and it is a highly competitive area. This Big Y was once the very well known Waldbaums Foodmart that was sold to Big Y in 2010. I worked at Waldbaums and the store was remodeled under them in 2007. Big Y recently closed the pharmacy, and will expand their kosher department. They have started renovations. It's kind of sad for me to see them take away the layout of Waldbaums, but it's their store now.

On another note, I wonder if Rocky Hill will see a remodel in the future. Also, I wonder where the two new stores will be located in CT. I think one of them is Simsbury if they got approval.

[Jstar1994]

where did you hear about two new big y's opening in ct?

[retailisking]

The Big Y in Franklin has its own Facebook page; contrast this with the Northborough, MA Wegmans which eliminated its dedicated Facebook page recently.  I think Wegmans blew a golden opportunity...
http://www.facebook.com/BigYFranklin

[Joeg]

Is it true that Big Y wants to sell out?  The D'Amour(sic) family wants to sell??

[retailisking]

There's a fair amount of M&A activity in the supermarket business now. I'm not sure what Big Y would bring given the dire financial straits the company was in just a few years ago. They are expanding again, so that is a good sign. I'd say that Big Y and Market Basket are both up for grabs at this point. Maybe if Kroger was looking at establishing themselves in New England they would be good places for them to start.

[ynkeesfn82]

Big Y is teaming up with convenience store operator FL Roberts to start their own Big Y Express Gas Station and Convenience Stores.

http://www.wggb.com/2013/09/12/f-l-roberts-big-y-partner-to-create-new-convenience-store/

[ynkeesfn82]

The Big Y in Franklin has its own Facebook page; contrast this with the Northborough, MA Wegmans which eliminated its dedicated Facebook page recently.  I think Wegmans blew a golden opportunity...
http://www.facebook.com/BigYFranklin

Not any more.  :P

[retailisking]

The Big Y in Franklin has its own Facebook page; contrast this with the Northborough, MA Wegmans which eliminated its dedicated Facebook page recently.  I think Wegmans blew a golden opportunity...
http://www.facebook.com/BigYFranklin

Not any more.  :P

Good catch! I assume they had the same issues that the Wegmans Northborough store had.

[ynkeesfn82]

Big Y is opening in Cheshire, Connecticut this July. They bought out Everybody's Supermarket on South Main Street (Connecticut Route 10).

http://www.nhregister.com/business/20140426/everybodys-market-in-cheshire-to-become-big-y

[Bdubs]

Big Y is also opening a store in Old Saybrook. The closest Big Y in that area currently is Groton. There was a store in Waterford which failed miserably a few years ago.