Big Y — Local services in North Adams

I love big Y. I have been going here my whole life and consistently it is clean, well stocked and has great food options. When you first walk in, there's a nice floral and plant department on the left. Straight ahead is a wonderful produce department. I find they have everything I need from specialty apples to fresh spices. In my pictures you will see many of their selections.

The bakery is top notch and has everything from basic pastries to gourmet desserts. They're very well priced too. Big Y serves fresh bread of all different kinds. They have a large gluten free section which makes shopping for GF much easier. Including a refrigerated dessert and dairy section of GF. Also non dairy items. They make fresh pizza and have a huge hot food section that's always delicious. You can take it to the dining section, at the grocery store and eat it right there . There is a separate Olive bar. And entire gourmet cheese section, a prepared food section, operate rotisserie go or section and prepared food that's cold so you could take it home and eat it later. There Deli has a wide selection of meat and cheeses with someone they're ready to give you a sample. Also I have them slice my meat thick and my mom likes her lunch meat sliced very thin. They accommodate anything you want. The deli department also has a gluten free slicer. There is a separate meat department with an in house butcher. There is always a nice selection of fresh cut meats ready to go. Plus this grocery store has all of the normal things that you would find it any girl and the other grocery store with competitive pricing. If you sign up for their big Y card, which only takes a minute and is free, you're able to get all of the discounts. It's the same thing all of the other grocery stores have. The only benefit to this store is when you're checking out there's a screen that you push a button and the computer plays a little lottery game where you can win a gold coin which is good for deep discount and some items. It's a fun little perk that no one else offers. You can play this little game only once A-day. The big Y also has a redemption center where you can bring your cans and bottles. Their machines make it very easy to receive them. I like that the machines are in a separate, heated room. The service department is always friendly and helpful.

What more can I say! It's an all around great grocery store. I would highly recommend going to the big Y instead of large chain grocery stores. It's up to us, the people, to keep home town stores in business. I vote for big Y. I...

I don't know if it's this location or Big Y in general, but availability of even common items has become so inconsistent to the point where I have to become an ex-customer. Basically over the last few months it's reached the point where I have to spend most of a day grocery shopping: 1. Go to Big Y; 2. Go somewhere else to get the thing that aren't at Big Y today/anymore. While you'd expect that the odd item just might not be available once in a while, I'm now finding this to be the case EVERY week for multiple items.

I feel bad - the people who work there are VERY nice - and it's obvious interacting with them they REALLY want to help, but at the same time you can tell they know they're about to disappoint another customer.

And I don't see it getting any better - apparently corporate "decides" what the stores are allowed to order and stock, and there's no way for either customers - or even store department heads - to be able to offer any feedback and to what the customers want or need. Things can disappear from the shelves from week to week, with no way for anyone learn when - or if - they'll ever return. And this isn't for exotic or seasonal items - this can happen for everyday staples.

So - again - why spend time shopping there PLUS having to travel to shop somewhere else? Even if it costs more, I'm at the point where I'd just rather make the one trip so I don't have ot waste most of a day off "dealing with" Big Y" and having to "go get the rest"...

Big Y has come a long way over the years, and I have to give them a lot of credit. In certain areas, they really knock it out of the park. They make a strong effort to have as many local products as possible, for example, and I like that I'll often find unique things to buy here. They also have a really great food service department and their made to order subs are excellent and well-priced.

That said, the store is smaller than the other grocery store in town, so I find often that the selection of some products suffers. Pricing does tend to be a little higher (on average) than the competition as well - but not dramatically so. As a result, rather than being my primary store I find that I stop at Big Y more for smaller trips or for the unique products I can't...