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Big Y Foods extends pricing freeze

Regional grocer adds 5,000 more items to price-hold program

Russell Redman

July 10, 2020

3 Min Read
Big Y World Class Market-storefront_0.jpg
Big Y's price-hold program now includes 15,000 everyday grocery items, up from 10,000 when the initiative launched in May.Big Y Foods

A pricing freeze implemented by New England grocer Big Y Foods this spring will now extend through the rest of the summer and apply to more products.

Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y said late yesterday that the price-hold program now includes 15,000 everyday grocery items — up from 10,000 when the pricing freeze went into effect May 1 — and will run through Sept. 2.

Big Y said the national economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus pandemic — which has led roughly 50 million Americans to file for unemployment benefits — prompted the company to expand the food price freeze as well as step up its support for hunger relief.

Michael DAmour-Big Y Foods-COO.jpg“When we announced our first price freeze, we heard from over 5,000 customers who indicated how important this action is to them,” Big Y Foods Chief Operating Officer Michael D’Amour (left) said in a statement. “These remain uncharted times, so we feel this is another way we can help our customers and the community.”

New seasonal items added to the price-hold program as of July 1 include meat franks, country-style pork ribs, frozen beef patties, jumbo fresh clam rolls, grape tomatoes, avocados, raspberries and deli salads, along with store-made cheese pizzas, large subs and fried chicken.

Big Y lists the brands and pricing for the price-freeze products on its website. Items already on the list include popular brands of fresh chicken, butter, red and green seedless grapes, peanut butter, macaroni & cheese, breakfast cereal, English muffins, cheese, strawberries, Greek yogurt, pizza, orange juice, and spring water. Big Y noted that prices for the listed items could go down and sales will continue.

Related:Big Y Foods promotes Theresa Jasmin to CFO

Big Y Foods-price freeze extension-website.png

Products subject to the price freeze program are listed on the Big Y website.

Examples include boneless chicken breasts/thighs for $2.99/lb., frozen beef patties (2 lbs.) for $7.99, fresh bananas for 57 cents/lb., Big Y naked cooked shrimp (31-40 count) for $8.99/lb., World Classics Trading Co. American cheese for $5.99/lb., store-made large cheese pizza for $10.99, Chobani Greek yogurt (5.3 oz.) at 10 for $10, Big Y spring water (24-pack, 16.9 oz. bottles) for $2.99, Driscoll’s strawberries (1 lb.) for $3.99, Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice (89 oz.) for $5.99, Coca-Cola/Sprite/Canada Dry soft drinks (12-pack, 12 oz. cans) for $5.99 and General Mills Cheerios (8.9 oz.-10 oz.) for $3.29.

To address rising food insecurity since March, Big Y also has funneled $250,000 in support to regional food banks, which the company said are encountering “unprecedented demand.” Big Y pegged its financial assistance to date as amounting to 1 million meals, based on estimates that every dollar donated provides four meals. The donation was divided equally between the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Worcester County Food Bank and the Greater Boston Food Bank in Massachusetts as well as Foodshare and the Connecticut Food Bank in Connecticut.

Related:Big Y Foods freezes prices on more than 10,000 products

Big Y said it also supplies surplus food to local food banks weekly. On an annual basis, the grocer’s Sack Hunger program donates more than $11.5 million of food, or a total of 5.7 million meals, to help those in need throughout the region. “As a family business, we recognize our responsibility to be exceptional in our service to our customers, especially right now,” added D’Amour. “Our customers are like family to us, and that’s why the friendly service in our stores as well as commitment to the community remains exceptional as well.”

Overall, Big Y operates 83 stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut, including 71 Big Y World Class Market supermarkets, one Fresh Acres Market, one Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors store, and 10 Big Y Express gas and convenience locations.

 

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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