If you drive down South Main Street in Uxbridge, you might see an empty lot on the side of the road, full of excavators and some walls being built. This lot is where a new Big Y supermarket is set to open next year, according to Big Y Communications Manager Jade Rivera-McFarlin.
Big Y, a supermarket chain with stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut, has chosen 242 South Main St. for its Uxbridge location. The site of the proposed store is adjacent to Route 122 and Route 146A. The walls of the proposed store have been up since Wednesday and construction is expected to continue until the store’s planned completion in mid-summer 2025, Rivera-McFarlin said.
She wrote that there had been no complaints about ongoing construction in the area and that Uxbridge was chosen because it was an “underserved community.”
“Our research identified Uxbridge as an underserved community and a natural extension for our chain,” she wrote.
The new Big Y would be the second major supermarket in Uxbridge, as there is only one Hannaford in town, at 158 North St. Although the store won’t open until next summer, some Uxbridge residents are excited.
Keith N. Vadenais, who has lived in Uxbridge for 20 years, wrote to MassLive that another supermarket in town would be “great for competition.”
Tina Ryan, another Uxbridge resident and mother, wrote that there were few shopping options for her family.
“We are a family of five,” Ryan wrote. “Groceries are getting more and more expensive, so we regularly shop at the stores around us depending on the weekly deals and special offers.”
Ryan wrote that she would like a larger selection of take-out foods than at Hannaford Supermarket.
“All three of our children play sports and we also have very few options for fast, healthy food in the area, so I would personally appreciate a hot bar and/or similar options.”
While Ryan and Vadenais hope the new Big Y will benefit them financially, Uxbridge resident Stacey Mone is happy she doesn’t have to drive far to shop elsewhere.
“I’m happy to have an alternative right in Uxbridge instead of having to drive to Northbridge or even Milford,” she told MassLive. “I usually shop in Hannaford, but would only drive to Milford if I couldn’t get what I needed there or in Northbridge. But having another large store like Big Y is convenient, and honestly a little competition could improve prices as well as the quality of groceries like fruits and vegetables.”
