Big M Supermarkets

Elbridge store. So glad that I'd taken this when I had the chance as it's a Tops now.

  There is now an official site for Big M, a regional chain of franchised grocery stores that are chiefly in small towns and suburbs. I went to a few of these back in my day, yet not as much in recent history. The company were essentially purchased from Penn Traffic by C&S Wholesale Grocers. They used to be a stepsister to P&C in a way. They would have similar inventory. Big M are stepsister to Grand Union (mainly O&Os but also in Charles Kuralt-friendly communities) and Best Yet Markets (NYC/Long Island franchise since sold to Lidl except one store downstate).
I used to have a fan site, but the host shut down and I can't even archive it, so I had to start from scratch. I was not in the position to start a full-fledged site, so I think this was close enough before Big M made their own at last!  Some franchises are on Facebook like Alex Bay.
Big M are the largest chain of independent supermarkets in the state. All are locally owned and operated in their respective towns and some if not all are even union.  They charge fees according to one would-be store. A few don't identify as Big M proper, yet are listed on the chains site.
The ad still showed Topco private labels Food Club and Paws in 2010. Since Big M have been under C&S control the past few years, it looked like they may continue to carry these brands and the only places to get them in these parts now that Tops had moved their own brands into the former Penn Traffic chains (Tops used to have Ahold USA brands).  Big M now carry Best Yet, which I got into much more in another post.

Current locations:

North Region:

Alexandria Bay (NY 12)
Oswego (NY 48)
Plattsburgh (Yandos; US 9)
Speculator (NY 8 & 30; Charles Johns)

Southern Region:

Deposit
Osceola, PA (Tioga; PA 49) - last surviving non-NY store
Walton (NY 10)
Windsor (NY 79 off I-86/NY 17; previously A&P and Acme)

Central Region:

deRuyter (NY 13) - previously Great American
Dolgeville
Syracuse (Seneca Knolls) (NY 48; was Shurfine for a period, and Great American before that; now the last Big M in Onondaga County and the flagship to boot as office is about a mile away in van Buren)

Western Region:

Gates (Rochester suburb; NY 31 & 386)
Caledonia (NY 5 & 36; Caledona Marketplace)

Ovid (NY 96A & 414) - destroyed by fire in 2025, but store will be replaced in due time; previously IGA (pictured below; see later post)

Former locations:

Adams (US 11)***

Andover/Wellsville (NY 417)++

Auburn (honorable mention; Maxwells had Big M OG style signs inside and sold Best Yet items, which may mean they had probably used C&S; now closed; NY 5)

Bloomfield (NY 444; no longer listed on site)
Canisteo (NY 36)++
Eagle Bay (NY 28; now Dans Adirondack Market)*
Baldwinsville (NY 48, Smokey Hollow; previously Smiths Hometown Market; now vacant)
Syracuse (Burnet Ave.; also a Hometown Market and later Discount Natural Foods; building is now gone and a car park is there for Brooklyn Pickle)
Boonville (NY 12)***
Brockport (NY 19)++
Morrisville (off US 20)
Clayton (NY 12; later Shurfine)
Clifton Springs (now Tops)
Geneva (now Byrne Dairy)
Elbridge**+ (NY 5; pictured)
Jordan**+ (later Tops; now Family Dollar)
Hamilton*? (off NY 12B)
Hallstead, PA - US 11 (also BiLo and Acme; now Robs ShurSave)*
Lyons (NY 31; later Tops; now closed)
Hilton (Rochester exurb. NY 18; now Tops; was also Furnals Fresh Market, a ShurFine affiliate, as well as an ex-IGA franchise)*
Oriskany Falls (NY 12B & 26; now Falls Village Market)++*
New Berlin (NY 80)++
Whitney Point (NY 79)*
Hannibal (NY 3; later IGA and became Tops in 2016)
Ilion (NY 5S)++
Little Falls (closed; but became Price Chopper in April 2014)

Liverpool (village) (111 1st St; previously Acme and P&C; demolished)

Liverpool (Galeville) (Electronics Pkwy & Old Liverpool Rd; Liverpool Plaza; previously Acme; later Carls, Fays, and Thrifty Shopper; now Palm Market)

Liverpool (Bayberry) (then-NY/now CR 57; Daves; now Citgo)

Malone (US 11; Yandos; closed)++
Mexico (NY 104)**
Mohawk (NY 5S)++
Morris (NY 51; now Dollar General)
Montour Falls (NY 14)++
Hammondsport (NY 54A; now Hammondsport Grocery)++*

Norwood (later Perrys Market; now Hometown Market & Deli)++*
Old Forge (NY 28) - also now an IGA
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA area (small town TBD)
Philadelphia, NY (N Main St; Rons; now closed)
Potsdam (NY 11B) - went back to IGA
Pulaski (NY 13; almost became Big M, but owner couldn't afford their fees, so he also went to Shurfine instead, but is now closed)
Sandy Creek*** (US 11 & CR 22A)

Sherburne (NY 12)

Solvay (NY 297; now Dollar General and gas station)
Watertown (US 11; Pamelia) previously P&C and Tops; now Piggly Wiggly
Warsaw (NY 19)***
Weedsport (NY 31 & 34; later ShurFine, now closed)*

Westfield, PA (PA 49; now Tops)

Westvale/Taunton (Fay Rd & Onondaga Blvd; Balduzzis [second location]; previously P&C; now Lorenzos Wholesale Foods)
Wolcott (Bobs)*
St Johnsville (NY 5; now Little M!)*
Spencer (later Shurfine; NY 34 & 96)
Spencerport (NY 31)++

Endicott - Schusters; NY 17C+++

Oswego - Boscos Midstate*
Syracuse (east side/SU-Westcott Nation; Fifields/Roys/Westcott Big M; 512 Westcott St.; now University Christian Fellowship)
Syracuse (NY 298; Reschkes/Balduzzis/Court St.; previously Johnsons and Victory Market; now Diamond Market)*

Syracuse (Near Northeast; Hawley Ave & Elm St; Mangicaro Midstate; previously Market Basket; now Hawley Market)*

Syracuse (west side/Tipp Hill; 615 Richmond Ave; Freemans; now Shield of Faith Ministries)

Syracuse (east side; E. Colvin St. near SU; now Ramzi Market [cornershop])*

Syracuse (US 11, south side; later Factory Direct Furniture Outlet; now DG Market)

Syracuse (east side; Audubon Pkwy & Salt Springs Rd; leMoyne Midstate; later leMoyne Supermarket [indie cornershop]; now Barnes & Noble College)

East Syracuse (NY 290, Leo & Sons; now Thrifty Shopper)
Union Springs (NY 90)*

Mattydale (E Molloy Rd; Lembos Midstate; later Convenient Food Mart; now Quickway)
Fulton (Mirabitos Midstate on Cayuga St., former sister to later Hannibal store; no current connection to oil company and chain)*
Fulton (Strupplers on NY 48; later a Shurfine store and Valero station, then brought Tops back to town after a decade away, which closed in 2018 due to bankruptcy and is now River View Pediatrics)
Fort Plain (NY 10) - was Grand Union and Great American before it was Big M and is now Save-a-Lot
Syracuse (Onondaga Hill; off NY 175; previously Leahs Market on Onondaga Hill, but Big M sign was no longer on building. Formerly Kams IGA/Halls/Abbotts. Later Hill Top Market, another ShurFine affiliate; then Big O Deli and Family Dollar; now closed)*
Syracuse (US 11/Wolf & 2nd North Sts on north side; Pentos/Jims/Andys; later Wilson Farms, Dullys and Dollar Tree; now Dollar General)

Other towns TBD.

All are closed or unknown to me unless indicated. Subject to change. *Now 100% indie. **Formerly Farrugia family-owned but has become Tops.  ***Became Tops in June 2013.  ++TBD (off official site)

New AI Ovid Big M (see later post for more)

Ovid Big M (near right) on Main St (NY 96A & 414) in happier times

A new standalone may be more accommodating.