Piggly Wiggly
People outside the South like to make fun of the store name Piggly Wiggly. Piggly Wiggly is found all over the
South except in Metro Atlanta. Most of the Atlanta stores are long gone.
Piggly Wiggly stores aren’t the biggest grocery stores in the
country or even the cheapest, but they cultivated a following by being
unabashedly, intentionally local. For those living near the coast of South
Carolina and Georgia—the so-called “Lowcountry”—Piggly Wiggly was one of the
only places to consistently find such regional favorites as Duke’s mayonnaise,
“dirty-rice,” smooth grits, and smoky neck bones.
Piggly Wiggly was local before it was fashionable to be local.
People who have Piggly Wigglys near them are very loyal. Last fall, Piggly Wiggly announced a deal to sell about half of its stores to bigger rivals. Twitter and Facebook were lit up with comments.
People who have Piggly Wigglys near them are very loyal. Last fall, Piggly Wiggly announced a deal to sell about half of its stores to bigger rivals. Twitter and Facebook were lit up with comments.
Why, there is a state Historical Marker for the site of the
first Piggly Wiggly opened in Memphis, Tenn.
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| http://historic-memphis.com/memphis/pigglywiggly/pigglywiggly.html |
Piggly Wiggly was the store of choice in Driving Miss Daisy. One
of the first challenges Hoke had to face was getting Miss Daisy to let him
drive her to the store, the Piggley Wigley, of course.
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| http://www.designsponge.com/2010/04/living-in-driving-miss-daisy.html |
And later in the movie,
Piggly Wiggly is mentioned when Daisy though Hoke stole a can of beans.
Boolie Werthan: Hoke, I think we're gonna have to have a little talk.
Hoke Colburn: All right, sir. Just let me get outta my coat. (pauses, then turns to Daisy) Oh, Miss Daisy, yesterday, while you were out visitin', I went and et a can of your salmon. Now, I know you said eat the left-over pork chops, but they was kinda stiff! So, I stopped at the Piggly Wiggly and got you another can. You want me just to go on and put it in the cupboard?
Daisy Werthan: (embarrassed) Yes, that'll be fine... thank you, Hoke. Well, I guess I'd better get dressed now!
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| Louis Rigdon 1930 |
I, for one, am sorry to see the older grocery chains disappear, Winn-Dixie, Colonial, Red Dot, and A&P.
Have you ever shopped in a Piggly Wiggly?
When I (Michael) moved to Wisconsin, I was delighted to find that they have Piggly Wigglies there too! Who knew, right? Before that I had only seen them when I was in South Carolina.
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