This Century-Old Grocery Store Taught Retailers How To Get You To Spend More

The first Piggly Wiggly store opened in 1916, making it one of the oldest grocery stores in the U.S. Although the name may sound a bit silly to those unfamiliar, founder Clarence Saunders revolutionized grocery retail with this one location. Older stores typically kept staff on hand to select and pack customers' items for them. Piggly Wiggly allowed shoppers to come in, walk the aisles, select their own groceries, and place them in their own baskets. The store was laid out such that shoppers had to walk down each aisle to see everything it had to offer, encouraging them to spend more money on things they hadn't planned on. That's right, Piggly Wiggly helped create the concept of the impulse buy.

Let's fast-forward to today. During the height of the pandemic, many grocery stores switched to one-way aisles. This allowed for social distancing so that customers didn't have to go elbow-to-elbow while shopping. Piggly Wiggly patented this idea in 1917 — not for social distancing, of course, but to ensure shoppers passed through the entire store. A one-way aisle prevented them from returning the way they came.

Piggly Wiggly also offered customers everything they needed under one roof. Using traditional shopping methods, you typically went to a grocer for dry goods, a greengrocer for produce, and a butcher for meat (which you can still do today — here are 12 questions you should always ask). By stocking everything in one store, Saunders created a one-stop shop where customers would spend much more money.

Though he may not have understood the concept, Piggly Wiggly founder Clarence Saunders was using retail psychology when he laid out his stores. Strategically placed candy in the checkout aisles? That was his idea. By the time shoppers finish selecting their groceries, they're suffering from decision fatigue, meaning they're tired of being in the store and are more susceptible to impulse buys. On the way in, for example, you may not have wanted a small treat like a candy bar, but on the way out, you might think, "Why not? It's just a few more cents," and give in.

Shoppers' journey through the Piggly Wiggly aisles was very structured and intentional. The store employed a maze-like design, forcing shoppers up and down every section of goods. Previously, customers handed a list to a grocer and left with only those items. Thanks to Saunders, they began to wander, encountering products they may have forgotten or never even considered.

Even today, layouts are carefully designed to make you buy more. Produce is always near the entrance so you see bright, vibrant food and think fresh, delicious thoughts. Dairy staples are typically at the back, forcing shoppers to walk past items they may not want or need before reaching staples like milk, butter, and eggs. And this strategy may not have come about without Saunders' influence.