Grand opening: Much-anticipated Piggly Wiggly opens its doors on Spartanburg's south side

Piggly Wiggly opened Wednesday becoming the first neighborhood grocery store on Spartanburg's south side since Sav-A-Lot closed in the summer of 2019.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, but the store opened at 7 a.m. for customers.

For the past several years, residents worked with the city of Spartanburg and business officials to get another grocery store on the south side.

Spartanburg City Council announced last August that Piggly Wiggly was officially coming to the south side. The store is located in the former space occupied by Sav-A-Lot at 550 S. Church St.

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►Residents say Piggly Wiggly gives a boost to the south side

Erica Jefferies lives on the south side and said she is grateful for the convenience the new store brings to her, along with the community.

"I'm so happy that they now have a store right here," Jefferies said. "We don't have to go across town, and now we can just come right down the street to go grocery shopping. Before ( the Piggly Wiggly), it would take me 15 to 20 minutes just to go to the store. They got everything that you need."

South side residents Anne and Edgar Lee Jones said the new store is a benefit to the community.

"I see positive feedback for the people that live here and the elderly," Anne said. "The way the food is prepared, and the vegetables are prepared healthier. We drove six miles [to receive groceries], now it's only less than one."

Edgar Lee said he and his wife will continue to support Piggly Wiggly.

Spartanburg Councilwoman Ruth Littlejohn said it was a "blessing to have the Piggly Wiggly.

"We have seniors who have no transportation that rely on a bus or a friend to give them a ride to go shopping. They are going to be able to come right here to come shop.” Littlejohn said.

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►Spartanburg's south side is no longer considered a food desert

Without the Piggly Wiggly grocery store, the south side would still be considered a "food desert," meaning an urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many low-income families live in food deserts.

In a consumer market study on households near the new Piggly Wiggly, 17.3% of residents within a 10-minutes-drive have a household income below $10,000, and many residents use public transportation. 

"We no longer have a food desert on the south side," said Mayor Jerome Rice. "It's an amenity. It's up to the residents here to utilize this facility, and we can do our parts by making sure everything is clean, welcoming and open so everyone can come into the Piggly Wiggly."

Rice said the store is a "top of the line grocery store." The Piggly Wiggly will later include a pharmacy and full, functioning kitchen.

James Talley, who was mayor of Spartanburg from 1993-2001, said the store really helps those who lack the transportation to travel outside the neighborhood to buy groceries.

"The Piggly Wiggly will make a big impact in the fact that it's here, it reduces the travel, they have a good product, the people that are shopping here mostly are in this area and may not have the transportation to go across town. So, it's going to fill that void," Talley said.

► Community leaders say Piggly Wiggly will bring future opportunities 

Christopher George, Spartanburg Communications & Marketing Manager, said the opening is an investment in the future of the south side.

"This is an investment in their future, one that we hope will stimulate more quality of life improvements in this crucial part of Spartanburg’s community," George said.

The investment started before the store opened with two job fairs that were held for the grocery store.

Assistant City Manager Mitch Kennedy said Piggly Wiggly provided 30 to 40 jobs from the local job fairs.

Kennedy also said the grocery store will help businesses within that shopping plaza and help to bring more businesses to the south side.

"I think it will have a direct impact and support to those existing businesses," Kennedy said. "Just the vibrancy the store brings to that area can help with development along that corridor."

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► Spartanburg's south side has struggled with keeping grocery stores

This is the third grocery store on the south side over the last several years. Residents and community leaders say they will work hard to keep the store busy with shoppers.

"We worked long and hard," Rice said. " Councilwoman Ruth Littlejohn for this district has really put blood, sweat and tears into getting this here."

Rice said Sav-A-Lot closed in 2019 because of low-profit margins and said residents will have to do their part to support the store.

"It's up to the residents to make sure we utilize this facility," Rice said. "We can do all parts with making sure we keep the parking lot clean, that we may host different activities here, and making sure that people use this facility."

►History of Piggly Wiggly in Spartanburg

The first Piggly Wiggly here opened on East Main Street on Nov. 12, 1920, and offered a free flower to each guest on its opening day.

The current generation of Spartanburg residents may remember Piggly Wiggly's in Spartanburg during the 1980s and 1990s, but though interrupted by several decades, the grocery store has a long history in Spartanburg.

Piggly Wiggly was founded in 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee. It was the nation's first self-service grocery store where customers would pick out their merchandise instead of waiting for a clerk to do it for them, according to Piggly Wiggly's website. The chain now has more than 40 locations in the state of South Carolina and has more than 530 stores in 17 states.

Joanna Johnson covers community news and education for the Herald-Journal. Reach her via email at jjohnson@shj.com.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Grand opening: Piggly Wiggly opens on Spartanburg's south side