Page 20 - BusinessWest August 22, 2022

An architect’s rendering of the planned new Big Y market in Tower Square.
Thus, the team at Big Y has looked at models that would be considered similar in other urban markets, includ- ing New York and Boston, as well as some smaller cities in upstate New York, he said, adding that the chain is essentially creating its own model with this initiative.
“We’ve tried to take little bits of what we like from some different mar- kets out there,” he explained. “But we think downtown Springfield is a bit unique, and we think that we under- stand the Western Mass. customer and the Springfield customer, and we’re try- ing to blend our brand with what we’ve seen other folks do in other environ-
ments and come up with something we think will work in this setting.”
The plan, as noted, is to offer most of what would be found in a tradi- tional Big Y market, he said, adding that patrons can do what he called a “full shop” at the downtown location, with fresh meats, bread, produce, and other items, just not in the variety to be found in the larger-model store.
Work has yet to begin on site, he said, but the plan is to open the store late in the first quarter of next year, and he believes that timetable can be met, despite those aforementioned chal- lenges, including construction lead times and simply getting needed mate- rials and equipment.
“Supply chain continues to be a challenge, both from a construction standpoint as well as from a product
“We’re having supply- chain challenges everywhere, and we’re working through them as best we can, and we think we’re doing a pretty good job with it.”
standpoint,” D’Amour explained. “But it’s nothing we’re not tackling, like everyone else in this late-pandemic, post-pandemic world, whatever we’re calling it these days. We’re just con- tinuing to try to find innovative ways around it and fill our stores.
“With respect to this Tower Square downtown location, it’s really no differ- ent than what we’re tacking in all of our stores,” he went on. “We’re having sup- ply-chain challenges everywhere, and we’re working through them as best we can, and we think we’re doing a pretty good job with it.”
Food for Thought
As D’Amour noted, it is difficult to make projections for the planned new market, and equally difficult to get a firm grasp on just what will constitute success.
But in an area that has been devoid of anything like this for as long as any- one can remember, there are great expectations and high hopes that the new store will be an important addi- tion to the mix in Tower Square and the central business district as a whole.
In short, there is a good deal of anticipation about what’s in store for this location — figuratively, but also quite literally. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
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