Big Y to invest in store revamps, sustainability

Springfield, Mass. Big Y Foods said Monday it will renovate four supermarkets with a goal of greater efficiency and energy-resource conservation, Progressive Grocer reported.

The company will spend more than $3 million to upgrade the stores.

“As a locally owned and operated company, Big Y continues to aggressively invest in its employees and its facilities in order to better serve the communities in which we operate and to conserve our energy resources into the future,” said Frank J. Horacek, VP -- real estate & development, Big Y, according to the report.

Depending on the location, the renovations include the use of energy-efficient appliances, LED lights, and refrigerated cases with high-efficiency fan motors. In some instances, the “waste” heat from the refrigeration units will be captured to supply the store’s hot-water needs.

Big Y operates 57 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts, with over 9,100 employees.