TOUR: Big Y World Class Market - Southbridge, MA

Big Y World Class Market

Owner: D'Amour family

Opened: 1996

Previous Tenants: none

Location: 505 E Main St, Southbridge, MA

Photographed: November 30, 2018 and March 23, 2019

We've seen a few Big Y locations so far, so let's tour another one! This roughly 57,000 square foot store opened in 1996 (although I'm not sure if it replaced an older store in town), and I don't believe it's been renovated since it opened although it's been repainted inside. (It was most recently redone this past spring, although I can't find any post-renovation pictures.)

Notice that the exterior doesn't have the circle logo, like we saw in Spencer.

It was snowing just a little bit on my first visit, way back in 2018 (although I've been back a few times).

Here's the exterior on a sunnier day...

Inside, the store is fairly straightforward for a Big Y. Bakery is in the front right corner, with deli and prepared foods in the island facing. Produce is on the right side of the grand aisle, with seafood at the back. Meats are on the back wall, then, with dairy and frozen on the far left side of this store. I don't believe this store ever had a pharmacy, but there was a bank branch which has since closed.

This is the single Big Y I've been in that didn't feel well taken care of (well, except the one I went to right before it closed. More on that later). It's definitely an older store, but maintenance was not quite as good as the other ones I've been to. As I've said before, Big Y has high standards for store maintenance and renovations.

Originally, the walls would've been white/beige, looking like this. They've been painted to match the newer decor (like we saw in Spencer), but the signage itself hasn't been updated. The Cornerstone Bank branch has since closed.

I think the flooring also makes this store feel older, because it's an older style even though it's in good condition.

This, I believe, was the first decor package for the "World Class Market" branding. To my understanding, that's when Big Y expanded the service departments to the format they use today.

Here's the deli and prepared foods counters in an island (with the grocery aisles behind the wall we see here).

The bright colors do make the store more exciting visually, but I wonder why the decor wasn't updated.

As we see, though, it doesn't look like this is a low-volume store. In the various times I've been here, it's been fully stocked with perishables and a large selection at each service counter.

Some newer touches, such as this coffee merchandising, are in the grocery aisles.

One place where the signage has been updated is the Center Market, which I mentioned in Spencer.

I wouldn't be surprised if the freezer cases are original to the store's opening...

...and as we've seen in a few stores lately, it looks like older dairy cases have had doors put on them...

And the rest of dairy lines the last aisle.

And speaking of merchandising, check out this display on the front-end!

And a look across the front-end...

Webster is the next big town, about 8 miles east of here, with smaller town Dudley in between. We'll be heading into that area soon, but first, we'll be making a quick stop to the north tomorrow for a small independent store!