gly ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁self - service ▁gro c ery ▁store . ▁It ▁was ▁founded ▁on ▁September ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁( although ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁open ▁until ▁five ▁days ▁later ▁due ▁to ▁del ays ▁in ▁construction ), ▁at ▁ 7 9 ▁Jefferson ▁Avenue ▁in ▁M emph is , ▁Tennessee , ▁by ▁Clar ence ▁Sau nd ers . ▁A ▁rep lica ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁store ▁has ▁been ▁constructed ▁in ▁the ▁M emph is ▁P ink ▁Palace ▁Museum ▁and ▁Planet arium , ▁a ▁m ansion ▁that ▁Sau nd ers ▁built ▁as ▁his ▁private ▁residence , ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁sold ▁to ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁its ▁found ing , ▁gro c ery ▁stores ▁did ▁not ▁allow ▁their ▁customers ▁to ▁gather ▁their ▁own ▁goods . ▁Instead , ▁a ▁customer ▁would ▁give ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁items ▁to ▁a ▁cl erk , ▁who ▁would ▁then ▁go ▁through ▁the ▁store , ▁gather ing ▁them . ▁This ▁created ▁a ▁greater ▁cost , ▁and ▁therefore ▁higher ▁prices . ▁P ig gly ▁W ig gly ▁introduced ▁the ▁innov ation ▁of ▁allowing ▁customers ▁to ▁go ▁through ▁the ▁store , ▁gather ing ▁their ▁own ▁goods , ▁thus ▁cutting ▁costs ▁and ▁lower ing ▁prices . ▁L oss es ▁due ▁to ▁easier ▁shop l ifting ▁were ▁more ▁than ▁offset ▁by ▁prof its ▁from ▁increased ▁imp ulse ▁purch asing . ▁O thers ▁were ▁initially ▁experiment ing ▁with ▁this ▁format ▁as ▁well , ▁which ▁initially ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁" g roc eter ia ", ▁rem inding ▁people