

Piggly Wiggly's introduction of self-service grocery shopping truly revolutionized the grocery industry. Someone once asked him why he had chosen such an unusual name for his organization, and Saunders' reply was, "So people will ask that very question." He wanted and found a name that would be talked about and remembered. One story is that he saw from a train window several little pigs struggling to get under a fence, and the rhyming name occurred to him then. Saunders' reason for choosing the intriguing name Piggly Wiggly® remains a mystery he was curiously reluctant to explain its origin. Piggly Wiggly Corporation continued to prosper as franchiser for the hundreds of independently owned grocery stores allowed to operate under the Piggly Wiggly name and during the next several decades, functioned successfully under various owners.
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The stock was successfully traded on the New York Stock Exchange for some time, but through a series of stock transactions in the early 1920s, Saunders lost control of Piggly Wiggly and had no further association with the company. The original Piggly Wiggly Corporation became owner of all Piggly Wiggly properties: the name, the patents, etc., and Saunders began issuing stock in the Corporation. Piggly Wiggly Corporation, established by Saunders when he opened the first store in Memphis, secured the self-service format and issued franchises to hundreds of grocery retailers for the operation of Piggly Wiggly stores. There were shopping baskets, open shelve and no clerks to shop for the customer-all unheard of! Operating under the unusual name Piggly Wiggly, it was unlike any other grocery store of that time. Saunders, a flamboyant and innovative man, noticed that this method resulted in wasted time and expense, so he came up with an unheard of solution that would revolutionize the entire grocery industry: he developed a way for shoppers to serve themselves.ĭespite predictions that this novel idea would fail, Saunders’ first store opened Septemat 79 Jefferson Street in Memphis. Back then shoppers would present their grocery orders to clerks who then gathered the goods from the store shelves. It’s truly the best of both worlds!īut you don’t have to take our word for it.Piggly Wiggly®, America’s first true self-service grocery store, was founded in Memphis, Tenn.

We offer warm, hometown service and first-class products. We’re not like other like other Apalachicola, Florida grocery stores. Whether you’re a local or visitor to Florida’s Forgotten Coast, we treat each of our customers like part of the family. In fact, many of our employees have been with us for more than 20 years-and we wouldn’t trade them for the world.

To top it off, our caring staff is second-to-none. That’s why we offer each and every customer nothing less than warm, friendly service. We’re not just your community grocery store-we’re also your neighbors! Piggly Wiggly Apalachicola is locally owned and operated. If it’s not top-quality, we don’t sell it. We use special hydration techniques to keep our fruits and vegetables fresh, beautiful and delicious. With a butcher on duty, our fresh meat counter serves only choice to prime beef.Īdditionally, we carry the absolute best produce in this part of the state. We are obsessed with quality and we strive to offer the finest products, and nothing less. Plus, you might just discover some new products you’ve never seen! Top Quality Across the Board At Piggly Wiggly Apalachicola, you’ll find anything and everything you need.
