A Store Named "Piggly Wiggly" Created the Modern Supermarket

This is Lee this is Al American stories we tell stories about everything on the shelf in the arts to sports and from business to history and everything in between including your story send our American stories.com that's our American stories.com there are some of our favorites and we love to tell stories about faith whenever we can, and redemption and this is one of our best redemption stories brought to us by our very own Joey Cortes Ron Brown grew up on the west side of Chicago to listen to him since I saw that as a key never appealed to me, remembers a key scene shot different things like that you want one that tried to murder my uncle just existing in ages being a key like 56789 years old not be alive despite the weight is supposed to be why certain stories and a key figure in inner-city Sgt. builders mess on people he saw as a means to me and to get to get a water executor, what God blessed me with.

But he blessed me with the ability to see that was wrong and that wasn't the way for me to go about my life. It was also blessed with a strong mother who divorced his biological father. When Ron was a kid I can use part of accident cross gaming under the key at some trouble pizza six live in the best way I know how individually he going to prison for use of an argument being the key.

Write me letters and say hey you know when I get out things going to be different from spend more time to it is important, and the thing was get out and never never say she went back to what he knew that the industry for a few more years and he went to jail was like the real you see the movie catch me if you can. He was like a real catch me if you can understand the Stanley came when checks and stuff like that. Remember that example from a very young agency and all the cars and houses and light is never appealed to my mother was fortunate enough and I was fortunate enough, she got married when I was about three or four years old to break me but named Lawrence Hunt and he's my stepfather and he did everything in his power to just raise me the right way and am so appreciative for the influence even right now is a 45-year-old man. I think about the lessons in which he taught me, just different things about manhood and responsibility in all those things and so I think having a father made a drastic difference in my life. My mother was a pretty tough lady. She's about 6263 � even play in my stepfather thinks I have even played so I grew up in a home where my parents were really about education.

I will be a key to say hey you know I want to be a professional athlete on this link that appears almost like look, that's a great goal but when you give me an amazing dream. Whatever you can do with your mind, your body will facilitate you have a very very lengthy career. I can remember fogging to take me to go see Chicago Bulls and I sit here watching and playing and Michael Jordan was like them up at night. The rain and I was yelling and screaming and anemic popcorn. The -looking pretzel when he top on the floor Dragon generally don't have my best time ever, any testing on the shoulders when a blue-collar timeout. Any system � some places is the greatest job in this whole agreement, looked at him because I thought it was a crazy question like Michael Jordan in Minnesota. He said that box up there with those guys walking around he knows how to see pieces they have the best job in the building.

They're the ones who pay. Michael Jordan is leaving up you may not be spring form. The reason why was it going on so I want to learn the big picture approach to life.

So this is really Got me thinking alive is a you know what Mike's going to retire one day the bull still to be here my somehow. Maybe one day.

Guess what the bull still be here, and he's like that's what I'm doing. I want to want to learn about life being the God is still there is transitions continue to have a life lesson that he will be stable me off to life. My father wasn't a good experience with employment, but those bad expansions with him made me think today much better father so he was the head will pick you up. You also get dressed longer. We will have for day someone will say look but don't like to skip you not show up and I can remember one particular time getting dressed for me. I have my pants, shirt, and my time occasionally. Call me as I am ready to look out below.

Well remember sit in the window, dressed and waiting on my father come in waiting on him to come to the point that I fell asleep in my stepfather picking me up and put me to bed and taking my shoes off, what good is picking me up, he said no you can coexist but you know I'm here.

And always remember that memory, you know. So for me anything about what my children. I will give us a basketball game give us a football game coming from and so three years I never hated my father as he is my father but I didn't understand, and so with that I was able to find a happy you know his father when they see going out to the store to go get a pack of cigarettes in the ass and his brother what you want me sitting wasn't candy so That his father never came back. He made like six, five or six you never saw Scott again and so with that when I come to realize that my father know how to be a father because he never hated example so with those things. It cannot say something of course they shape you break me think some of the situations in our lives they break.

This may times in the broken people so for. From that moment on my life is is I will never have had a great stepfather is very determined that I would never do that to my kids so no child of mine say, hey, I sent them a doorstep away from a data coming in next.

Importantly you're listening to Ron Brown and his wheel that his biological dad was a character right now to catch me if you can do black version passing checks their life. Make a bed, grew up, I went home.

It was all about education.

His stepdad really loved and right said those bad experiences of my biological father made me a better I never hated my father didn't understand until I learned about how his father's father was five or six years old.

To the corner store and never came back. When we come back more of Ron Brown stories on our Americans view of the great American stories we tell and love America like we do, or asking you to become a part of the All-American stories family. If you agree that America is a good and great country.

Please make a donation monthly get the $17.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for supporters. All-American stories.com now and go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming out American stories.com and Rebecca Farrell American stories and Ron Brown story we left off with Ron describing his difficult relationship with his absent father and the lessons you learned from that back to run the rest of the story.

The funny story about his became a high school graduation. Holy Trinity made a big deal about something so probably for graduate high school and I think I saw a little bit over the summer and I never saw him again to see him again until 20 years later, which is really kind of crazy because he had a brother and his brother had died and so I think I was in Atlanta at the time and I got word that my father� He actually got it was the future. So for years I thought it was the few sums at that. My wife said some information inference to be on the family seat is that we become contests on the family. Steve Harvey take that little Anna. We have this show we lose by one question and came out with one so this is what I think about how everything happens for a reason.

Will fast for years later, because after you do a family feud episode. The key playing episode over and over and over and over and over key so he stays in rotation for years and so I just got a law school and I was making the trek from Atlanta to Birmingham very nicely for school and was one particular night I was leaving class I get a phone call from a number I've never seen before is like a partner like you might answer the phone is about your parents voice. You never forget it even had hurt my father's wishes 20+ years. The phone rings I answer, he says hello son. And at that moment, I just broke down and cried.

I had to pull over to the side of road Highway 20 and day. He was like so not been looking for you, and I was like I been looking for you, but how did you get my number.

It was array of emotions that came in and time he was crime.

He said you not only this time and I lost track of you when I got out and let me know where he's always knew you. We always said you would be in business will be a businessman, my lip and looked any schism would say something I actually was sitting down with my girlfriend the other night we watch a family feud. He sent him a watch family feud is her favorite show and it came to you and you said your name. He said that's my son. And she said just she's like no that's my son.

And that's what I've been looking for is my side if I shouldn't believe nieces will leave you with listen to my mother-in-law Don White when you do that, that the family feud. They ask you what you do when you live in that so that moment time she was a senior VP for Coca-Cola and she said that and so his girlfriend and him Carl Cook: I got a contact with her. She just embedding out a noticeable number should be some vetting in relation he said he wasn't in the car my wife and I want a three way life is like. Got your dating site. Notice my brother and I gave him my number and we talked for about an hour or so you know what, despite everything in the world I still love you your my father you the reason why I'm here in that was very important to me because I lost my mother back when I was 27 years. Also, we could make the White House, around 38 so that was a powerful moment for me because as a man, even though I had a wife and children my head you still fill level of loneliness because my parents not that the both my peers are going I will always ask myself who buries me you know some happens to me, you know, I guess with him due to the fact he was still alive when hit up our relationship back together at night actually end up flying to go see him. Two days later and I spent my birthday will but I knew that though my wife and had our second son, Jackson, and so she said we were made when I'm guesstimating the swimming Jackson middle names will only so my wife was very surprised. She was like why would you name only your father and you guys and have the best relationship bludgeoning despite having the greatest relationship. I still love my father and I want him to be better and if that sounds like maybe could be said but you know I forgive him for everything that happened in my life just forgiven I can hold onto it and I see you know Jackson on Brown you know she'll make that main disc you never go to penitentiary disputed do some great in his life and will have his grandfather's name I thought that was very powerful. She said okay's name be Jackson will Brown will argue that is that my son was born like about two weeks before my father came back in my life so I don't know people think about life and letting things go getting right with God or getting right with who you are as individual, but I actually believe in my heart that would mean making a decision to forgive my father for everything that I have in the past. Every hard and harsh of every disappointment given my youngest son his name. I think for some way that open the door and that allowed us to find each other in that span several years ago and so now we talk every other day. That's my guy came a law school graduation. He's very proud.

He looked and said you know what to see how I did everything wrong in life and the city should be someone's right just so proud of you. So that's the best that's a big part of my journey. So even though he just being the most amazing day in the world.

Years later, he's become a great great great great dad and a great-grandfather. You know something my pants will always ignore my Mossad was the importance of forgiveness and nobody's perfect. Everyone does something wrong, she will always talk about you know when Jesus, I hope to go to first and no further stone, and even though he did get it right. I was open to allowing him to get it right.

I was open I think you have to be open sometimes it is a bit to give because you are carrying them around which you I just really think that it just really really well just fear it erodes everything in you because you care around the baggage of a heart. Something that happened years and years and years ago when you can't get over it and can't move past it keeps you locked in place the frenzies of mental remind me always say that anger is is a waste of emotion. Anger will cost you a lot a lot of people's in the penitentiary right now because they were angry, and the second is something that will so I just learned the importance of just can't hold onto it. Sometimes that move past can't hold on to step so his mind about coming to give somebody this enormous numbers like this is really kind of crazy that the Lord and Savior says that you should argue the greatest story that is that Jesus knew she was Judas. Jesus, he was going to be betrayed by Judas but Jesus didn't think the journey would souls all the fact that he knew he was going to betray him, but he still loved. That's an important message right still love. He knew he was going to do with but he still loved Around read the Bible you know there was a place for you, for stealing Jesus so loved the name of the relationship you love someone, even though that's the way it is.

But you know what I think that's like a true father's love our kids always do. We want the amount was literally looking to go? Children still love thy relationships with. We still wish them well and I think this how God we get up in the morning. We have great advantage is the least still in love with who you are in the door is always open for you to come back into enormously got think that's the most powerful thing about the Christian faith is that it was always open for being nowhere near Jesus Christ know when it got learn the importance of keeping the door open. People can change people message from Ron Brown and when faith is a part of people's lives. We put it right out there in his forgiveness, which came straight from his faith, but opened the door, my goodness, what a door it opened my goodness, what he did with his wife just weeks before wanting to name his son after the father that was never there with the middle name and the wife saying what gives and him walking through that he forgiven his own dad and teaching his wife the power of forgiveness and two weeks later that call comes looking for you hello son and he said I describe some of us believe in coincidence some of us believe in fate yesterday and some of us believe in God and believers.

That's a God moment a God wink. If ever there is one Ron Brown story and we'd love to hear yours and your stories tell American stories.com that's our American stories.com Ron Brown story a beauty here on our American stories and we continue here with our American stories, grabbing a basketball grocery shopping may seem second nature. Today, but the idea was once groundbreaking and that was far the only thing that changed when Piggly Wiggly, the first modern American supermarket open over 100 years ago. September 6 19 1600s of curious shoppers came out the opening of a new grocery store at 79 Jefferson Ave. in Memphis, TN. We broadcast here in Oxford, Mississippi, Memphis is only one hour, practically do more for weeks they'd seen billboards and read newspaper ads about this grocery store with a funny name but promised an entirely new shopping experience, one that would, according to its owner forever change the retail grocery business. Greg Engler sat down with Mike Freeman, the location of that first Piggly Wiggly in downtown Memphis. Mike Freeman is the author of Clarence Saunders in the founding of Piggly Wiggly rise and fall of a Memphis maverick job that restaurant downtown Memphis that happened to be at 79 Jefferson that was the first location. They think that my employer wanted to do some research cares about what happened is important to know what Saunders did differently was the old days went into a store to shop. You could just reach out and got grown right card to do that for you. Wait for them to tell the court what why they would bring it to Saunders.this is really slow so inefficient now. This tied in with grand advertise for the turns all the Kellogg band camp could be all these companies were selling a product.

Saunders knew what you need. Clark tell you what serial I Kellogg serial narrative yourself must pointing to him as I can sell more groceries, less cost.

Saunders grew up in a family that was poor, one-story neighbor bought Clarence care. She Saunders had money later in life. Check help is like to suffer can get living probably motivated him. Saunders came traveling salesman wholesale, so he would call upon grocery Saunders develop dictation rash you go into a store down the store owners more vegetables light in this life is God sent not everybody appreciated by then.

It shows that he was already thinking ways.

There was a man in Memphis to build a chain of stores hours small corner grocery stores, but every Bauer store look back saying signs layout store place each Bauer store now is an innovation to one-story gather, you know exactly where to find what everything was in the same place. Saunders absorbed these ideas change. I changed the going to town.

We unfamiliar you find your favorite grocery businesses. Starbucks exactly what Nesta hope principal Chase or Bowers that force on hours one thing that Bowers did not was arrange things down south still had Clark's insiders thought this was an efficient way of doing things and he was kind of sarcastic. He says you know store is not very busy for customer can get the attention of a Clark is a busy give it off in the back that happens all our they're so busy like during Christmas season everyone shopping store so busy they can handle the Lord the arrangement of the store hours in the elder merchants had was as he walked up to a counter and when she had Clark's attention rattle off what wanted and then he would go about the rest of the store picking out the items you whine and bring to the fraud, then you transact business and off you go. Saunders.well, they don't need a Clark Tele Campbell Soup is good we just put on the shelf took this journey to Terre Haute yet look at a store told me.

Signs differently and came back a bit disappointed wasn't really anything special about insiders tell the story often. He said on the way back. He saw this mother paid the farm saw these piglets trying meet up another pig and not a game of customers trying to attract.

It's never Clark and then the idea popped and he said he had the name just from saying this is the night. Then he went about designing how we can actually do rebuild the interior store changes Piggly Wiggly name.

This is a very unusual name and I think it was perfect when he was trying to effort any would began writing advertisements. Piggly Wiggly became a character Piggly Wiggly ghost town. That's how you build brand identity made a story out of imaginary pig went shopping. I read part one take the wiggly paint that a funny name fellow that got that name must have a screw loose somewhere.

All this may be so Piggly Wiggly knows its own business. Best in his business will be to have no store clerk Gavin smirks my folks are standing around 10 deep later about every customer will be around Clark so she wants to talk to Canada tomatoes and killer time. All right.

Well, this seems likely to be a mighty love Chad Saunders address customer fears used to be if you went starts toward the old days and clerk might put some on the scale you pay extra for tomatoes or potatoes whenever they sell you food that was out of date. Saunders thought all that was just this wrong is not good business sell more groceries this by being on and he was very proud talk a lot about labeling prices on everything walk in go to the canned soup while you exactly priceless matter what story or in one of the store. All pricing same matter who you are not got same. When we come back more of Mike Freeman telling story of Clarence Saunders, the founder of Piggly Wiggly here on our American story to continue with our American stories and author Mike Freeman telling the story of Piggly Wiggly and its founder Clarence Saunders. Let's continue with Mike and he was taken the last profit rate how they had people in the Rushville assailant kept making sound.

He was thinking of value to get out more story. "I have benefits self-service is you are selling more good per day and that helps eliminate the problem of spoiled food expired and Saunders is aware that any would advertised people say this is what I'm doing on the tree where now you can imagine going in the store. Not having label on $0.32 can imagine 20th century, it will let you label everything they know grocery store cannot patters of something different now. He prayed right there that first year that we had about eight or nine stores Memphis hours at a boarding yet so our schools simply because they made it easier for people shop start swarming. He's one of those rare individuals. It has an idea transform part of our society's eighth graders. Henry Ford for deciding what why can't we put an engine carried it up to some will will need a horse and buggy car change will Saunders is that level staff to get the same mind without notice to something different here. No laser faster grocery stores model to positioning his next year he started franchise and 08 � seven, but he started selling the idea that well you guys down in Arkansas this towns all over the South needed very rapidly selling franchises of you could argue that the founder of Walmart is virtually the same thing Walmart medium-sized town Walmart town but the having a store like that community. Hiring the local folks to work in the store probably managed to build the loyalty for that brand.

Walmart still Everest doing well. Saunders Saunders had a lot of the same attitude saying personality wanted to be that champion. But yeah I needed right now, Saunders achieved a level of celebrity.

Well Rima he's most famous for the pink palace is building. I don't know how many square feet is not to Johnny that 30 have swimming pool have everything a rich person. Saunders tried to outsmart traders on Wall Street explain it simply didn't realize they wrote trying is no governing agent financial trading we have now is whatever certain people call Wall Street side.they make the rules among themselves. I have chosen to driving the short sale stock maneuver were different people in the financial business spread rumors that the company trouble stocks and whatnot worth what listing at now and Saunders.regulated over expanded franchisor to background now is the trigger and he started this campaign. Take the shares out of the hands Wall Street the rule started buying campaign in Memphis. Safety most people in Memphis or any city outside probably thought about saying thought about villainous playing on that let the thieves take our everyone invested Saunders game file shares held by push these these traders into whatever they borrow they have. I he's buying all the shares that come to him repay what he was trying to trap and Board of Directors stock exchange. Your Doing Traders off, They Could Change the Rules Say There Is No Government Agency Stock Order Correct Thought Was Legal, Especially That Friend Got Caught up in Begging You Let Us Die: Saunders.No Part of Their Social Group to Some Hillbilly from Tennessee Dottie Will Let Him Die All That Money Instead of Gaining Hundred 12 Million A Lot Of Money Today 23 W. Saunders at Don and Where People Are Really like Famous Handbag Memphians Pull Together Mounting Payoff and Rally Safe Piggly Wiggly Point There Two Jobs and Then He Made a Mistake of Putting Money in Extravagant Investment Take Away Taking Time Away from Our Business Spending Our Money Bail You out Buildings Now Well a Work Minute Been Injured.

Store Count Is Terrible Mistake Cost, and He Tried Again to Make Still Famous Wine Store Later Thousand Substantial Change. He Was Successful. He Did Build Some Adjusted the San Juan Walmart the Most Fitting Memorial to Him Ordinary Service Door. Sam Walton Founded Walmart 1962 by the End of His Life, 1992.

Walton, the Largest Retail Merchandising Company in the World. In His Autobiography Sam Walton Made in America. He Credited the Enormous Success of Its Retail Stores Principle of Self-Serve Is Brief Description of the Benefits That Self-Service Gave to Him Desired Pass on the Savings to Customers Seem to Be a near Match to Sound His Own Words to Generation. During the past 25 Years, Supermarkets and Large Merchandise Stores Have Become Popular in Nearly Every Country in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. In an Odd Way. Saunders FedEx All over the World Country and Great Job on the Pieces Always by Greg Engler and a Special Thanks to Mike Freeman Who Wrote the Book Clarence Saunders in the Founding of Piggly Wiggly and What a Story and That He Started the Idea of Pricing and Transparency in Volume so That We Could Lower Profits in Each Individual Item but Make up for That and That Is Indeed What Sam Walton Did Is No Doubt Sam Took A Lot Of the Ideas We Quickly Instilled the Much Larger Operation. The Story of Piggly Wiggly, the Story of Clarence Saunders Here on Our American Story