Big Y Opens 1 of 3 New Grocery Stores in Connecticut
Big Y Foods Inc. recently opened a new grocery store at 14 Candlewood Lake Road in Brookfield, Conn. – the first of three new markets coming to the state this year.
The location offers a bakery, a full-service butcher and a seafood department with six deliveries of fresh, sustainable seafood every week. The kitchen and deli feature Ready to Heat, Eat or Cook Big Y Quick, Easy Meals, including, hand-tossed pizza available by the slice or whole pie, freshly made sushi, and made-to-order subs and paninis. Also available are meats and cheeses by slice or pre-packaged in the deli.
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The store has a wide assortment of specialty items from local partners, including; Arethusa Farm specialty cheeses, Liuzzi Italian specialties in the deli, Bear’s seasoned wings, Hummel products and Lamberti sausage in the butcher shop, Deep River chips in the kitchen, Lyman Orchards in produce, and Gina Marie Bakery and Chabaso Bakery artisan breads in the bakery.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for us to bring our legendary customer service and quality products to the Brookfield community,” said Michael P. D’Amour, president and CEO of Big Y. “We have had the pleasure of serving many neighboring communities for years. Now we’re excited to get to know our customers in Brookfield.”
Grand-opening festivities will continue through June 26 and include giveaways, offers and sample tastings. New myBigY members will receive 500 myBigY Rewards points just for signing up.
New locations are also underway in Middletown and Westport, Conn., as well as Uxbridge, Mass. These locations will bring Big Y’s total number of supermarkets to 77 stores.
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Big Y has reopened its family market at 503 Memorial Avenue in West Springfield. The project included major renovations in many areas of the store and various new additions in response to changing customer needs.
One of those additions is an expanded Hispanic grocery section. The area features traditional ingredients and pantry staples from across Latin America, including Brazil and the Caribbean. In addition to traditional ingredients and pantry staples, the Hispanic grocery section features a curated selection of ready-to-eat items, among them empanadas, quesadillas and burrito bowls in the kitchen; a large variety of specialty meats in the butcher shop; seafood such as octopus and a variety of fish in frozen; and Tres Leches Cake and more in the bakery.
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The section also features a selection of tropical fruits and vegetables like plantains, ajicito peppers (used for making staple sofrito), an expanded selection of roots, sugar cane, chayote, an assortment of chili, and more.
“We had a ton of demand for these types of products. People were having trouble finding them in the area and started requesting them,” said Sean Thompson, West Springfield store director. “It’s very exciting for us to be able to get our customers what they want. We’re looking forward to customer feedback and invite everybody to come out and tell us what they think.”
The upgraded sales floor now features new décor with a farmers market-style open-air entrance, an expanded grab-and-go section with an added self-serve pizza section, all-new energy-efficient refrigerated cases, and updated flooring throughout. The exterior façade was also given a more modern look.
The renovation efforts began in February 2023. The remodel and new section are part of the company’s broader strategy to modernize its retail spaces to create a more enjoyable shopping experience for both customers and associates.
Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y Foods is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England with locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut, including supermarkets, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors, and Big Y Express gas and convenience locations, with almost 12,000 employees. The company is No. 74 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of North America’s top retailers of food and consumables.
