Clarence Saunders: Pioneer of the Self-Service Grocery Store

Clarence Saunders (August 9, 1881 – October 14, 1953) was an American grocer who developed the modern retail sales model of self-service. He founded Piggly Wiggly, the first self-service grocery store, which fundamentally transformed how Americans shopped for food.

Early Life and Education

Saunders was born on a farm in Amherst County, Virginia, to Abram Warwick and Mary Gregory. His mother died when he was five years old. His father, who had served in the Confederate army under Stonewall Jackson, struggled financially after the war. In 1891, the family relocated to Montgomery County, Tennessee, settling near Palmyra, where his father worked as a laborer and sharecropper on a plantation.

From childhood, Saunders worked on the plantation and, by age 11, took seasonal jobs at a sawmill and limestone kiln. He also worked at a general store during holidays. He received only two years of formal education in Palmyra before leaving school at 14 to work full-time at the general store. Over the next five years, he held various positions including shop assistant, night watchman, and sawmill laborer. Recognizing that education was essential for advancement, he became a prolific reader and self-taught learner.

At 19, Saunders moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, and began working in the wholesale grocery business for John Hurst and Joseph Boillin, quickly rising through the ranks. In Clarksville, he met Carolyn Amy Walker, daughter of a prominent Illinois attorney. They married on October 6, 1903, and moved to Memphis, Tennessee, the following year, where Saunders worked for the wholesale grocers Shanks, Phillips & Co. and William Cole Early.

Career and Achievements

In February 1913, Saunders created United Stores, Inc., with 21 retail customers, giving Shanks, Phillips control of wholesale purchasing and advertising. A jointly owned United Store opened in June 1914. Three children—Lee, Clarence Jr., and Amy Carolyn—were born in 1906, 1909, and 1912, respectively.

On September 6, 1916, Saunders opened the first self-service Piggly Wiggly store at 79 Jefferson Street in Memphis, Tennessee, launching the self-service revolution in American retail. He had renovated his United Store by removing old countertops and installing characteristic turnstiles at the entrance and exit, with cabinets arranged along a continuous path leading to a cashier stand equipped with an adding machine and cash register. The 1,125-square-foot store featured a front lobby, a continuous-path middle salesroom, and a rear stockroom.

The store introduced shopping baskets, self-service branded products, and front-end checkouts. By eliminating unnecessary clerks and creating elaborate aisle displays, Saunders forced customers to view all merchandise along a continuous path. The store stocked four times the variety of items found in ordinary grocery stores, though it did not offer fresh meat. A refrigerator between two aisles held butter and cheese, while bins displayed fruits and vegetables. Flour and bulk goods were pre-packaged and placed near the end of the shopping journey.

Notable Events and Milestones

Saunders filed his “Self-Serving Store” patent on October 21, 1916, and received Patent #1,242,872 on October 9, 1917. Three additional patents followed, including Patent #1,357,521 for the basic store design, Patent #1,297,405 (filed February 5, 1918, granted March 18, 1919) for price-tagging methods, and a patent for providing customers with printed receipts from adding machine tape.

Piggly Wiggly shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange in February 1922. In April 1922, the company sold 50,000 new shares at $43 per share. By 1921, there were 615 stores in 200 cities across 40 states. By 1923, Piggly Wiggly had expanded to 1,267 stores—667 company-owned and the remainder franchised—employing 250 people in Memphis. Stock paid an 11% dividend.

In early 1923, a group of franchised outlets in New York failed, prompting Merrill Lynch and other Wall Street speculators to attempt a bear raid on Piggly Wiggly stock. Saunders countered by securing a $10 million loan from Southern bankers and purchasing large quantities of company stock. He publicly announced his intent through newspaper advertisements. Saunders accumulated orders for 196,000 of the 200,000 outstanding shares, driving the stock price from a low of $39 in late 1922 to $124 by March 20, 1923.

The success of Piggly Wiggly inspired numerous imitators, including Handy Andy, Helpy Selfy, Mick-or-Mack, and Jitney Jungle stores, all operating under patented systems. Later in his career, Saunders developed additional store concepts: Keedoozle and Foodelectric, continuing his efforts to create fully automated retail environments.

Additional Resources

Clarence Saunders’ life and innovations are documented in greater detail through Wikipedia and other biographical archives. His pioneering work in retail fundamentally shaped modern grocery shopping and remains a subject of study for business historians and retail analysts interested in the evolution of consumer commerce.

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