‘Like death in the family’ shoppers cry as grocery chain with 500 stores closes location – fans were told by note
A GROCERY chain has caused an upset by closing one of its 500 locations.
Customers have shared their grief over the closure after finding out via a notice posted in the store.
Piggly Wiggly has closed its store in Brookfield, Wisconsin as of June 6.
Located around 15 miles from downtown Milwaukee, it is one of the chain's 500 stores nationwide.
The store's general manager Earl Brunelle confirmed the closure to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and said it was prompted by the building owner.
A note posted in the store shared the news.
Read about more closures
Since then, heartbroken locals have shared their sadness over the closure.
Owner of the store Ralph Malicki told The U.S. Sun it feels like a "death in the family", and said that he's "extremely sad."
Shoppers have taken to social media.
"Sad inflation is driving everything out," wrote one on Facebook.
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"NO NO NO!! One of our favorite stores!! Why????" asked another.
A third shared: "The employees were always really nice. Even though I lived closer to Pick 'n Save, I’d take the extra time to go to the pig. Sad to see it go."
PREMATURE CLOSING
The store was previously slated to close on June 15.
However, the aisles became incredibly sparse leading up to the closure, the Sentinel reported.
All merchandise was marked as 50% off.
History of Piggly Wiggly
Piggy Wiggly opened its first store in 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee.
It was the first-ever self-service grocery store.
Prior to Piggy Wiggly's innovation, grocery stores did not allow customers to gather their goods.
Instead, a customer would give a list of items to a clerk, who would then collect them throughout the store.
As of 2024, Piggly Wiggly has 502 locations in the Southeast and Midwest.
OTHER GROCERY CLOSURES
Piggly Wiggly is not the only grocery chain with a store closing down soon.
The closure of the ShopRite in Ellenville, New York will leave shoppers in a food desert, forcing them to drive farther to buy groceries.
Located around 100 miles from New York City, the beloved supermarket in the Hudson Valley region is closing due to an expiring lease.
It is just one of over 12 ShopRites set to close in the area.
The final month to shop will be October.
Read More on The US Sun
Meanwhile, Stop & Shop has announced plans for multiple closures.
And see which company is taking over 170 discount stores.