Piggly Wiggly

The first true self-service grocery store was founded September 6, 1916. Named, Piggly Wiggly, by its owner Clarence Saunder, it was located at 79 Jefferson Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. A replica of the original store is in the Memphis Pink Palace Museum.

Piggly Wiggly customers entered the store through a turnstile and shopped four aisles offering 605 items organized into departments. Wicker baskets were provided for customers convenience in gathering merchandise as they walked through the maze, which ended at the cashier.

Piggly Wiggly History