Corrections: This story was updated to clarify ownership and operations of Piggly Wiggly stores.
New Hampshire-based grocery store chain Piggly Wiggly is closing locations, according to online listings and news reports.
There are over 500 locations across at least 17 states, according to the Piggly Wiggly website. C&S Wholesale Grocers owns the Piggly Wiggly brand, but stores are owned and operated through various independent store owners and operating organizations, Gena McDaniel, communications director for independent owner Piggly Wiggly Food For Less and the McDaniel family, told USA TODAY on Aug. 24.
Most recently, independently owned stores from other franchisees have closed in Alabama, South Carolina and Wisconsin, per a report from Inc.
The company’s only Oklahoma location closed its doors a year ago, according to a Facebook post and news outlet KFSM-TV.
“Life has a way of keeping us moving, often pulling us in many directions without giving us time to pause,” Piggly Wiggly Muldrow shared in the post, which was deleted but reposted on a public group page that follows happenings in the city. “Over the past several years, we’ve felt that more than ever.”
The store went on to say that the company made the decision to “step back and close this chapter,” thanking customers for their support. The store operated for the last time on Aug. 2, 2025, with “deeply discounted” items.
USA TODAY contacted C&S Wholesale Grocers on Monday, Aug. 24, to get details on potential closures in the future but did not immediately receive a response.
Here’s what we know so far.
What Is Piggly Wiggly?
Piggly Wiggly is a grocery store chain known for its private-label items, hot bars and lunch options, and its mascot, Mr. Pig.
The company’s website says that Piggly Wiggly was founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916. At the time, shoppers typically gave their grocery lists to clerks who would then gather everything for them. Piggly Wiggly founder Clarence Saunders thought that led to lots of wasted time, so he opened what the company now touts as “America’s first true self-service grocery store.”
The company now has hundreds of stores in the central and eastern parts of the U.S., many of which are franchised.
C&S Wholesale Grocers owns Piggly Wiggly LLC and the Piggly Wiggly brand, but independent owners run many of the stores, McDaniel said.
The family’s store group is part of Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Company, which is made up of more than 240 stores throughout the Southeast but is separate from C&S Wholesale Grocers, McDaniel said.
The family independently owns and operates 14 Piggly Wiggly Food For Less stores across Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
“None of our 14 stores is among the closures,” McDaniel told USA TODAY on Aug. 24. “C&S Wholesale Grocers owns Piggly Wiggly LLC and the national Piggly Wiggly brand, C&S does not own, operate or supply our stores.”
Where Have Closures Occurred?
According to Inc. and permanent closure notices online, the following locations closed between summer 2025 and August 2026:
- Athens, Georgia – 484 North Ave. (per the Athens Banner-Herald)
- Bristol, Florida – 11325 NW State Road 20
- Green Bay area/Howard, Wisconsin – 2465 Lineville Road (per the Green Bay Press-Gazette)
- Magnolia, Arkansas – 429 E. Main St.
- Phenix City, Alabama – 512 13th St.
- Portland, Tennessee – 112 W. Knight St.
- Sumter, South Carolina – 114 E. Calhoun St.
One of the most recent closures happened on Friday, Aug. 7, in Bristol, Florida, about 46 miles west of Tallahassee. On Aug. 4, staff members at Piggly Wiggly in Bristol said the store would close because of staffing issues, instead operating under the Cash Saver banner just minutes away in Blountstown.
“Without properly staffing the store we could not provide the service you deserved,” the store wrote on Aug. 4. “Hopefully, in the future we will be able to open the doors again and serve the community like it deserves, but for now we can only operate 1 location with the staff on hand.”
Staff members said in the notice that they’d monitored the staffing situation for over a year and decided combining resources to one store in Blountstown was best.
Some Locations Get Rebrands or Makeovers
While some Piggly Wiggly locations have closed completely, others have rebranded.
Per Inc. and company-run Facebook pages, Jamason Sparks bought five Piggly Wiggly locations in northwestern West Virginia and Ohio.
Sparks then rebranded the five locations from Piggly Wiggly to:
- Gihon Village Grocery – 110 Gihon Village, Parkersburg, West Virginia 26101
- Market on Emerson – 4000 Emerson Ave., Parkersburg, West Virginia 26104
- Plum Street Market – 1206 Plum St., Parkersburg, West Virginia 26101
- The Plains Market – 70 N. Plains Road F, The Plains, Ohio 45780
- Vienna Grocery Market – 110 23rd St., Vienna, West Virginia 26105
Where Can I Find Piggly Wiggly Stores Now?
Per the company’s website and store locator, Piggly Wiggly still has stores in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
This story was updated to add new information.
Contributing: Ariel Perez, Green Bay Press-Gazette; Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at [email protected].
Reporting by Saleen Martin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY.
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.
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