![]() ![]() ![]() “People living in apartments and houses close by, they don’t just need chicken and pasta. Lee Gattis, the manager, says it was intentional to make sure shoppers can find a range of items, from sewing kits to hardware tools. Part of why it’s hard for customers to say goodbye to Piggly Wiggly is because the store was more than a grocer. So it came as a shock to community members when they learned of plans to possibly convert the building into apartments and retail space. The corner market wasn’t always a Piggly Wiggly, but it has housed a grocery store of some kind for nearly 70 years. Started in Memphis in 1916, the supermarket is known for creating the first self-service checkout line and price tags for each and every item in the store. Piggly Wiggly has a long history in Tennessee. Stores in South Carolina and Mississippi have also recently shuttered, raising concerns about potential food deserts. The fate of the Piggly Wiggly on West End is the latest in a series of closings that have diminished the chain’s presence over the last few years. He says they made a point of making customers feel valued. Manager Lee Gattis says this job has been different than other retail gigs he’s held before. “It just won’t be the same without this wonderful, old, crazy place,” Threk Michaels, a longtime employee, says. Although the chain has two more locations in Nashville and hundreds more across the South, community members say the closure feels personal. The beloved Piggly Wiggly plans to close its doors for good at the end of the week. That’s exactly what’s happened for this West End grocer. in Nashville.Įvery day, businesses open and close, but rarely does the loss of a chain store cause so much heartache. “It’s like a family atmosphere.” Julia Ritchey WPLN NewsĪ customer exits the Piggly Wiggly at 2900 West End Ave. “Everybody down here is on a first name basis,” Blair said. He came to buy a box of matches, but really it was an excuse to catch up with some of his favorite people. The Piggly-Wiggly mascot was on hand for Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.On a rainy Wednesday afternoon, Ken Blair went on his routine stroll to Piggly Wiggly on Nashville’s West End. ![]() Readers of say there was a Piggly-Wiggly in Beckley in the 1950s and in Martinsburg around 1980. Piggly-Wiggly has supermarkets in 17 states and stretches as far north as Wisconsin and Minnesota.The new West Virginia stores aren’t the first ever in the Mountain State. Our prices and products are outstanding.” “I don’t know if it will be right away but there’s a lot of interest out there. “We are the first in West Virginia but I think you’ll see more in the future,” Johnson said. The Johnson family ran the Milton Foodland and the Galaxy grocery store in Hamlin - both of which are Piggly-Wiggly franchises - and Adam Johnson said he expects more of the franchises in the Mountain State. “A lot of people vacation in the south and they’re familiar with Piggly-Wiggly brand, and they’ve come and checked us out today. The first Piggly-Wiggly grocery store franchises in West Virginia since the 1980s have opened their doors, bringing a familiar sight to state residents used to seeing the chain when they vacation in the south, especially Myrtle Beach.Īdam Johnson, who’s managing the Milton store in Cabell County, said it’s great to open a business that already has some familiarity to customers. ![]() Piggly-Wiggly, a familiar sight to West Virginians when they head south on vacation, has now opened two locations in the Mountain State. ![]()
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