Family-owned supermarket chain Big Y is set to open a new grocery store at the old Barnes & Noble location in Westport on Oct. 24. The company, whose operations are based solely in Massachusetts and Connecticut, is known for its high-quality yet affordable produce compared to other well-known chains in New England.
Just a week ago the chain announced its intention to partner with local vendors to supply produce to its Westport store. Its sales teams initiated a “discovery tour” that sought to provide Westport residents products unique to the region. According to its website, it already has more than 500 local businesses that provide over 4,000 products for its stores.
“There is a great Big Y in Stratford that my family and I sometimes go to,” Matt Darien ’25 said. “I prefer it a lot more than Whole Foods. The produce and prices are a lot better.”
The store, at 1076 Post Road East, recently showcased its commitment to Westport by also announcing more than 100 different job positions at its Westport location. Positions are currently open, but close one week before its Oct. 24 opening. Experience is not required and on-the-job lessons are being offered.
“I looked at the Big Y job offering,” Corbin Chaney ’25 said. “Compared to other jobs that you can get with little-experience at a high-school level, this one is very generous.”
Previously, 1076 Post Road had been marked to be an Amazon Fresh store but numerous cost-cutting and downsizing measures after the pandemic at the corporate behemoth led to the ‘Amazon Fresh’ enterprise being vastly scaled back. The store had been empty for several months before officials identified ‘Big Y’ as a replacement.
Notably, unlike Whole Foods, Stop & Shop and other big supermarket chains, Big Y’s unique business structure allows it much more flexibility in its offerings to customers. While the former companies are owned by either private-equity or publicly-traded corporations, Big Y’s private, family-ownership allows it to focus more on prioritizing customers than profitability.
“All of us at Big Y are excited about the opportunity to enter into these communities with our unique, fresh and local foods,” Big Y CEO Michael D’Amour said in a press release. “These locations [will] fit nicely within our current store footprint.”
