Stop & Shop vs. Big Y: They Stock – You Decide
by Bill Dusty
Peaceful music fills the air as shoppers meander the food aisles, their eyes darting to and fro as they mull the vast assortment of offerings that surround them. It’s a serene picture, only occasionally interrupted by the friendly voice of a PA announcer who eagerly announces the store’s latest and hottest deals. When Hollywood makes a movie, it’s scenes such as this that serve as snapshots of the normal, mundane life of American society.
In reality, however, there is a somewhat more unsettling truth to this otherwise comforting picture of Americana Utopia living. That’s because the supermarket world just happens to be a corporate world – and that means business. Across the United States, the supermarket industry tends to be a regional animal, with large chains dominating different parts of the country. And here in the western Massachusetts region – and more specifically here in the Greater Springfield area, there are no larger beasts than Stop & Shop and the Big Y.
The Supermarket Showdown
Stop & Shop is the larger of the two, by far, with over 380 stores throughout the Northeast. The Big Y, in comparison, has about 55 stores listed on its website covering Massachusetts and Connecticut. Stop & Shop began life as a family-owned market back in 1914, and by 1946 their sales had topped $42 million and the company was renamed “Stop & Shop”. In 1996, Stop & Shop was bought by Ahold, a global food retailer based out of the Netherlands. The Big Y is the local kid on the block, headquartered in Springfield, MA. Its roots began in 1936, in Chicopee, MA, after Paul D’Amour purchased the “Y Cash Market”. The company later incorporated itself as “Big Y Foods, Inc.” in 1947. The Big Y came to Springfield in 1967, and moved its headquarters to Chestnut Street in 1989.
According to Stop & Shop’s website, they pioneered the first “Super” supermarket back in 1982. Since that time, other stores have followed the theme, including the Big Y – whose superstore versions should perhaps be called “Really Big Ys”.
The two supermarkets go head-to-head in a number of places, including battling it out just across the street from one another on North Main Street, in East Longmeadow, MA. A brand new Super Stop & Shop is also being built across the street from the Big Y on Cooley Street, in Springfield, MA.
The competition between the two rivals can be intense, too, with spies from both sides trolling the aisles of their nemesis. In the East Longmeadow showdown, I once spotted a Big Y employee – in civilian disguise, of course – quietly walking the aisles of their Stop & Shop neighbor, her shopping cart packed with goodies. I tapped her on the shoulder and whispered to her, “spy!” She laughed, then calmly went about her business. The groceries, naturally, would never make it into her kitchen. No doubt they were to be whisked away to the Big Y Labs, where they would be carefully analyzed for pricing and expiration dates.
Comparision Shopping
Prices by region very, so these comparisions were done using the Boston Road (Spfld) locations of both supermarkets, with sales running through the week of August 31st, 2007. (Prices reflect store card savings, unless otherwise noted,)
- Stop & Shop: Chicken of the Sea Tuna – 10 for $10.
- Big Y: Big Y Chunk Light Tuna – 2 for $1. - Stop & Shop: Banquet Select Menu Meals – 10 for $10.
- Big Y: Banquet Dinners – 10 for $10. - Stop & Shop: California Strawberries – 2 for $5.
- Big Y: Driscoll’s Premium Strawberries 2 for $6. - Stop & Shop: Live Steamer Clams – $3.99 per lb.
- Big Y: [didn't have steamers listed] Littleneck Clams – 2lbs for $8, [no card].
Overall, Stop & Shop appears to win the price battle. The Big Y clearly outpriced Stop & Shop with their tuna – but then again, it was their store brand versus Chicken of the Sea brand. (All information collected from company websites.)
Side Note:
Both stock their own, store-named generic products as cheap alternatives. I used to be one of those folks who thought there was little difference between brand name foods and their generic counterparts. About three years ago, I loaded up on Krasdale canned goodies – couldn’t beat the price! Today, I still have one more can of ravioli remaining from that shopping trip before I cleanse myself of that false belief system.
Those Subtle Differences
Comparing Stop & Shop and the Big Y is, of course, like comparing apples and apples. But there are subtle differences in the variety of these two apples:
- Stop & Shop is owned by parent company Ahold, out of the Netherlands. The Big Y, meanwhile, is locally owned.
- Big Y is a non-union shop, while Stop & Shop is unionized (with over 43,000 union workers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island).
- Stop & Shop offers us “low prices every day.” The Big Y prides itself on local suppliers.
- In my experience, Big Y wins the “ease of shopping” contest. I always seem to be pacing around from one end to the other when shopping at Stop & Shop – even when “little shopping”.
Website Comparisons
Out in the wilderness of the Internet, the two supermarket heavy weights have carved out their own niches with their respective company websites. Perhaps not so surprisingly, the two sites share some common visual characteristics. Both have top-side, horizontal menus (although the Big Y site has an additional left-side vertical menu). Both tout their products and services with descriptive links to various pages placed directly on the front page. And both also have pretty young ladies greeting visitors: Stop & Shop has a smiling Andrea Astrachan, their Consumer Advisor, and the Big Y has attractive dietition Carrie Taylor serving up tips and advice.
Both sites appear to be regularly updated. Probably the best feature on both sites – the only one I would have any use for, personally – is the weekly sales lookup (both linked at the top-side menu, with Stop & Shop calling their page the “weekly circular”). They both also offer store locators, store card online sign-ups, and recipes.
All-in-all, as far as looks and features go, I’d have to say that the competition at website design between the two would have to be a draw. And if they monitor each other’s websites as much as they monitor each other’s stores, I wouldn’t expect it to be any other way.
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19 Responses for “Stop & Shop vs. Big Y: They Stock – You Decide”
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Well done.
The big question for these stores is whether or not shoppers are loyal to one or if they go from store to store chasing sales and the best buys. I tend to shop at Big Y because of the local ownership, but my wife and I generally go to places like 90 Meat Outlet and produce stores like AC Produce before going to any large supermarket. And we shop at Price Rite for many of our staples in order to save money.
Good post.
Thanks guys.
I actually go to either Big Y or Stop & Shop in East Longmeadow – depending on which side of the street I’m on – Ha!
Also, I occasionally go shopping when I get out of work, after 11pm, and only the Stop & Shop is open after 11pm (in East Longmeadow). I used to go to Big Y for my after work shopping (since it’s on the north-bound side, my direction of travel), but they surrendered the after 11pm shopping a couple of years ago. Guess it wasn’t worth it for them to be open.
one day, i went to stop & shop in need of tampons. they had a special on a smaller-size box of them, but none left in stock. i grabbed the exactly-two-times larger size box and asked to be charged twice the special price. the manager refused to ring it up at the sale price! offered me a raincheck instead – very funny.
on the other hand, i went to big y recently and groaned when i realized i had purchased items that were marked for a special coin discount – but that those coins were in another purse at home. the big y cashier pointed out that i could, on my next visit to big y, bring the special reward coins and my receipt to the service desk, and redeem them for cash back! while there that i could redeem yet another coin for a car wash coupon at an extreme discount… now THAT’S customer service!
Big y coins
Just what I need another bunch of junk in my pocket or worse yet misplaced or lost. I had an elderly checkout guy tell me there was no company card that could get me the discounted price and I would have to go to customer service and apply. Any Stop and shop I’ve been in has given me the discount just by asking at the checkout. Big y is for the elderly casino crowd “wampum cards and fake money”. Stop and Shop is a big corporate machine but they don’t really claim to be otherwise.
I think Stop is better than big y espcially the one is Eastlongmeadow.They have great people and excelent service
Big Y just came into our neighborhood. I was excited, shopped and then ended up back at my regular Stop and Shop. Big Y’s prices seem much higher. Their produce is nowhere near as good as S&S. Big Y does not carry a lot of the items I buy on a regular basis. (Very simple items, like some soups, crackers, etc…) I even asked customer servce at Big Y to order the baby formula that is required by a Dr for my 8-month old. They told me they would mention it to the store manager…still nothing! S&S carries it every day.
I will admit Big Y has a much better looking bakery with seemingly more items.
If I was to rate both stores over-all, 5 stars being the highest:
Stop and Shop = 4 Stars
Big Y = 2 Stars
Stop & Shop has better Seafood selection most of the time with better prices. I won’t lie – I shop both stores, but I check flyers before I shop. If there’s a better deal on something I want to stock up on I go to the store that has it. Not a big fan of the damned coins either, I never remember to bring them.
I’ve worked in a couple of these stores and I’ve learned that your shopping experience greatly depends on the store and not on the chain. Location can make a very big difference.
P.S. Grocery store employees don’t always shop where they work. I admit it–I shop at Price Chopper. 90% of the time, that familiar face from the enemy store isn’t spying, s/he just wants 10 for 10 on Progresso soup.
I am in love with big y!!!!!!!!! best grocery store I’ve ever been to. Stop and Shop and all the others are really corporate garbage that have nothin’ on BIG Y!!!!
I live in CT and have both as an option. Also I go to Price Chopper. I go to each depending on what I need. They’re all really good about their produce, but I think the stop & shop orders more than they need just to have big piles of produce to look cool.
Other than that, each has major flaws (I don’t live in well populated area). Stop & Shop has more wrapped meat offerings than Big Y but the S&S doesn’t have a butcher counter for the select cuts cut and kept fresh. Big Y’s selection at the counter is limited and there are no local real meat markets just a few places that carry whatever they can get cheap.
No Comparison Big Y Rules
I <3 Big Y Foods, seriously, like in love. legit.
I’ve worked for both companies and I can let everyone know Big Y treats their employees so much better. S&S is owned by someone in Europe as Big Y is owned by locals. It truly is a family atmosphere. hats off to Bill Hogan for developing and sustaining that type of culture…
Stop And Shop Supermarkets #1!!! We are hiring while Big Y are laying people off. Stop And Shop Customer service #1 Food #1 Employees #1 The company is growing. DaM Big Y , and Walmart.
Why would you go to a store like Big Y when they are more expensive and don’t pay their employees like human beings? Stop and Shop gives part time workers health insurance plus full time workers get paid enough so the don’t have to get food stamps to live. If the prices are better and they treat their employees better why go elsewhere?
How many Americans did Big Y just lay off???? Not to mention they cut their department managers in half. Why does it matter that S&S is owned out of country? They employ us Americans right? How much do you think S7S shells out in taxes to the states and towns? Stop and Shop hands down!
I agree Big Y is much better than Stop and Shop I know because I use to work for Stop and Shop and they dont treat there employees fairly.
I don’t shop a Stop & Shop because I don’t like the corprate attitude of the place. They are obviously not employee friendly. And as a former customer, I felt that they were not very customer friendly. I don’t blame it on the employee’s, just they management.
The Big Y employees seem to be happier people. But just recently I had a very bad experience with management there. I now know policy depends on who’s running the front on certain days. I was a loyal shopper there since 1991 and because of this bad experience with management I will no longer shop there.