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

COO Michael D’Amour: ‘This is a critical time for our customers’

Russell Redman

May 6, 2020

3 Min Read
Big Y Foods supermarket-Walpole MA
Big Y noted that it has pledged to hold the line on prices for the listed items despite the current volatility of food pricing.Big Y Foods

Big Y Foods has instituted a price freeze on over 10,000 items as a way to help customers financially pinched by the coronavirus pandemic.

Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y said Wednesday that the price hold went into effect on May 1. The regional grocer noted that prices on the listed products may even decrease, and the company will continue to offer sales discounts.

“This is a critical time for our customers, and we wanted to recognize that with more than just words of support,” Michael D’Amour, chief operating officer at Big Y, said in a statement. “We have all been through a tough period, and there are certainly challenges ahead. But we felt it was time to do more to help.”

Items on the list include popular brands of fresh chicken, butter, red and green seedless grapes, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, breakfast cereal, English muffins, cheese, strawberries, Greek yogurt, pizza, orange juice and spring water.

Big Y Foods-plexiglass shields-coronavirus

Among its coronavirus safety measures in stores, Big Y has established one-way aisles and added social distancing markers at checkout and installed plexiglass shields for cashiers.

For example, the price of Big Y boneless chicken breast is being held at $2.99 per pound, as are store-brand Big Y butter 16 oz. quarters ($2.99) and Big Y spring water 24-pack 16.9 oz. bottles ($2.99). Among national brands, price freezes include Driscoll strawberries (16 oz.) at $3.99; Kraft Mac & Cheese (7.25 oz.) at $1; Cheerios regular, multigrain and honey nut varieties (select sizes) at $3.49; DiGiorno frozen pizza (select varieties and sizes) at $5.99; Tropicana orange juice (52 oz. all varieties) at $3.99; Skippy peanut butter (select sizes) at $2.49; and Chobani Greek yogurt (5.3 oz.) at 10 for $10.

Related:Big Y Foods to build Takeoff Technologies-powered automated warehouse

More products are slated to be added to the list. Big Y added that it has pledged to hold the line on prices for these items despite the current volatility of food prices.

“We are going to do more,” according to D’Amour. “Our customers are like family to us, and we want to help them and the communities we serve.”

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.

Among its COVID-19 safety measures, Big Y in mid-April began limiting the number of shoppers in stores, with capacity capped below Massachusetts and Connecticut state guidelines. If maximum capacity in a given store is reached at any point, an associate will help customers with lining up outside and ensuring proper social distancing (six feet), the retailer said. Customers also have been asked to limit their shopping trips to one person whenever possible and wear face coverings in accordance with state and/or local regulations. All Big Y employees are required to wear face coverings in stores. In addition, the chain has implemented one-way aisles in stores and added social distancing markers and plexiglass cashier shields at checkout.

Related:Big Y moves up plastic bag phaseout

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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