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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Clarence Saunders opened Piggly Wiggly in 1916, shoppers in Memphis, Tennessee, didn’t know what to make of it. Until then, groceries were ordered at a counter while a clerk gathered every item. Saunders told customers to do something new: take a basket, walk the aisles, and choose for themselves. It was the first self-service grocery store, and it changed everything about the way Americans shop. Mike Freeman, author of Clarence Saunders & the Founding of Piggly Wiggly: The Rise and Fall of a Memphis Maverick, shares the story of how one man’s bold experiment became the blueprint for the modern supermarket.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Clarence Saunders opened Piggly Wiggly in 1916, shoppers in Memphis, Tennessee, didn&rsquo;t know what to make of it. Until then, groceries were ordered at a counter while a clerk gathered every item. Saunders told customers to do something new: take a basket, walk the aisles, and choose for themselves. It was the first self-service grocery store, and it changed everything about the way Americans shop. Mike Freeman, author of <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FClarence-Saunders-Founding-Piggly-Wiggly%2Fdp%2F1609492854&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C8092fda0743248b8f33008de10dd709d%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638966740428548939%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=LEB0Qrm0UOtJY7ZP3EjJRG9T720iq1C2OdkUFs8GYaI%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Clarence Saunders &amp; the Founding of Piggly Wiggly: The Rise and Fall of a Memphis Maverick</a>, shares the story of how one man&rsquo;s bold experiment became the blueprint for the modern supermarket.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

How Piggly Wiggly Invented the American Supermarket

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/126a1462-02ff-4d60-a7f3-b37e013f9429/transcript

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