Big Y Debuts New E-Commerce Platform
Giving customers another way to shop for their groceries, Big Y has launched myPicks online ordering. The e-commerce platform provides an easy, contactless way for the grocer’s customers to purchase groceries by ordering online for curbside pickup. Working with a software provider, Big Y is able to manage the food safety and quality aspects of the online shopping service.
“We are constantly searching for ways to improve the shopping experience for our customers,” said Big Y COO Michael P. D’Amour. “They’ve taught us the importance of having our own e-commerce option this past year, as demand soared due to the coronavirus pandemic. We are excited to launch our new online shopping service for those customers interested in e-commerce. We look forward to expanding our digital capabilities in the future as we roll out to other locations throughout our marketing area.”
Construction on the physical order assembly area in Chicopee, Massachusetts, was completed last fall. The automated micro-fulfillment center contains 20,000 of the most popular items sold at Big Y. Having the 12,000-square-foot center adjacent to the Chicopee World Class Market allows for a relevant selection of all fresh foods to supplement the automated portion of each order. Big Y’s trained and experienced e-commerce shoppers are then able to select the best and highest-quality fresh foods for myPicks.
Big Y has been testing the new service over the past several weeks. Once fully operational, the platform will be able to provide online orders for more than 7,000 customers per week from the Chicopee location. By the end of the year, customers will also be able to retrieve their online orders via temperature-controlled tote bags in secure lockers at additional Massachusetts Big Y locations in Springfield (Cooley Street), East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ludlow, South Hadley, Westfield, Westfield Shops, West Springfield and Wilbraham.
Additionally, myPicks places no additional fees on orders of $40 or more. Big Y currently partners with San Francisco-based Instacart on grocery delivery from all of the grocer's stores.
One of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England, Springfield, Massachusetts-based Big Y operates 83 locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut, including 71 supermarkets, Fresh Acres Market, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors, and 10 Big Y Express gas and convenience locations, with almost 12,000 employees. The company is No. 72 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
