Big Y Foods will completely renovate its Norwood, Massachusetts supermarket at 434 Walpole St. starting in January in order to provide a new state of the art shopping experience. The larger store will allow for expanded offerings including freshly tossed pizza; store made fish and chips; a variety of prepared meals; additional local fruits, vegetables, seafood and meats; natural and organic options; and more.
Additional space also allows for a larger selection of local products which is part of Big Y’s commitment to discovering new local partners in the region and building up the local economy. Renovation plans include increasing the size to 55,000 square feet from the current 42,598 square feet.
In an effort to better serve customers in the Norwood area, the location will need to close for a period of time so extensive renovations to the store, shopping center and parking lot can be accomplished. Though it is highly unusual to close a store during renovations, it is not without precedence for the chain.
Several years ago, Big Y closed its Northampton, Massachusetts market for the same reason. And since its reopening, the company says customers have been delighted with the results along with the opportunity to experience a world of options and services in one place.
In 2016, the Norwood location became part of the Big Y family of stores, however, it has not been able to showcase all that Big Y stands for due to its age and space limitations. This past month, the landlord, Cedar Realty, has asked the town for permission to renovate this center. The Norwood location was originally built as another supermarket over 50 years ago and is obsolete by today’s standards. Naturally, renovations also would include energy efficient cases utilizing LED lighting and variable speed fan motors as well as a myriad of other green building enhancements.
The market currently employs about 115 people. Once the market temporarily closes in 2021, all full- and part-time employees will be offered positions at neighboring Big Y’s until the new facility opens. There will then be a need for about 40 additional employees to staff the new departments.
“Our commitment to the safety and well- being of our customers and our employees is always paramount along with constantly improving our world class shopping experience and the availability of local and nutritious products and offerings,” said Charles L. D’Amour, Big Y president and CEO. “We are excited about our long term future as part of the Norwood community. While we regret this disruption, it will also allow for a faster and safer renovation process for employees, customers and construction workers during these times of social distancing and other safety protocols.”
During the renovation process, customers are invited to shop at Big Y’s World Class Market at 1111 Providence Highway in Walpole.
Big Y Foods is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England. Big Y operates 84 locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut including 71 supermarkets, Fresh Acres Market, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors and 11 Big Y Express gas and convenience locations with almost 12,000 employees. Big Y has been recognized by Forbes as a Best-in-State Employer in Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as Employer of Choice by the Employers Association of the Northeast.
