The Piggly Wiggly in Columbia, South Carolina to Close

A Piggly Wiggly store that dates back 50 years is closing its doors in Columbia, S.C. Owner/operator Darrell Miller shared details of the closure on the grocer’s social media page. 

The supermarket at 3818 Devine Street in Columbia – billed as “The Social Pig” – has long served residents as well as members of the nearby University of South Carolina community. According to Miller, the closure follows difficulties in renewing the soon-to-expire lease.

Miller shared his gratitude to patrons and personnel who supported the store over the years. “I submit our sincere thanks to the residents of the surrounding communities and the Greater Columbia area for your steadfast and generous support over the past fifty years. You have blessed us,” he declared. “I also want to thank the hundreds of associates that graced this business with their presence, and provided the great goods and services that our guests expected and deserved. You took a structure of concrete and mortar, and a patch of asphalt, and made them into a living and important institution in this great city.” 

Miller has served as a Piggly Wiggly store operator for 37 years and has spent more than 50 years with the business.

There is a fair amount of competition in the greater Columbia market. Trader Joe’s operates a site in that area, as do The Fresh Market, Lowe’s Foods and Whole Foods Market, among others. A new 49,000-square-foot Publix in northeast Columbia is slated to open later this year. 

There are more than 600 Piggly Wiggly independently owned and operated stores serving communities in 17 states. The banner is an affiliate of Keene, N.H.-based C&S Wholesale Grocers. Founded in 1918 as a supplier to independent grocery stores, C&S now services customers of all sizes, supplying more than 7,500 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases and institutions with 100,000-plus products, in addition to operating corporate stores. Earlier this year, C&S announced it is part of a consortium of private investors acquiring Southeastern Grocers and its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket banners from ALDI U.S. The company is No. 17 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Source: Progessive Grocer