Invention Geek – Grocery Store?

Question from Royce M:

Is it true that there was a patent for the first self serve grocery store?
Thanks, Royce

Yes, that is absolutely correct. Piggly Wiggly was America’s first modern self-service grocery store.

Clarence Saunders received patent number 1,242,872 on October 9, 1917 for the concept of a self-service supermarket store. Saunders had revolutionized the grocery industry and improved the customer shopping experience.

Originally, shoppers depended on store clerks to gather their grocery order from the shelves. Sanders developed a self-serve setup to avoid wasted time and expenses. In response to the change, packaging and brand recognition became increasingly important because consumers now directly chose products. Sanders’ innovative idea was a success as other stores began to adopt the same layout for their locations.

95 years later, since the opening in 1916, Piggly Wiggly stores can still be found today in the Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States.

Read the Piggly Wiggly patent here.