About Us
Our History
For more than 100 years, Piggly Wiggly has been a trusted name in the grocery business. Piggly Wiggly Midwest proudly carries that legacy forward, operating corporate stores and supporting independent franchisees under a chain-style program. This unique model blends the strength of centralized buying and merchandising with the charm, hospitality, and local focus of entrepreneurial, community-based retailers.
In 1957, the company purchased the land that would become its twenty-acre distribution center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Today, three distribution centers supply grocery, produce, meat, bakery, deli, frozen, dairy, health and beauty care, and general merchandise to Piggly Wiggly stores across the region.
A few years later, in 1962, Schultz Brothers Company acquired the Sav-O Corporation, a trading stamp business, and merged the two to form Schultz Sav-O Stores, Inc.
Piggly Wiggly has also been a pioneer in shopper marketing and loyalty programs. In 1995, the company launched the Piggly Wiggly Preferred Club Card Marketing Program — one of the first in the nation to link national manufacturer pricing incentives with retail-specific promotions through a single, database-driven program.
In 2006, the company went from publicly held to privately held when Paul Butera, Chairman of Certified Grocers Midwest, Inc., led a group of Certified members in forming Certifresh Holdings, Inc. to acquire the company. In 2007, Paul Butera and his family purchased the company outright, bringing decades of Chicagoland grocery experience and launching an aggressive campaign to expand the brand, improve store design, and strengthen advertising efforts.
In January 2009, the company officially became Piggly Wiggly Midwest. Today, Piggly Wiggly Midwest operates as part of C&S Wholesale Grocers, one of the largest grocery wholesalers in the United States. Leveraging C&S’s national scale, buying power, and supply chain expertise, Piggly Wiggly Midwest continues to strengthen its position in the marketplace while supporting independent retailers and growing the Piggly Wiggly banner.
All in a Name
The origin of the name Piggly Wiggly® remains one of grocery’s most charming mysteries. Founder Clarence Saunders was famously reluctant to explain it. One popular story claims he was inspired after seeing a group of pigs trying to crawl under a fence while riding on a train. When asked why he chose such a curious name, Saunders simply replied:
“So people will ask that very question.”
And they still do. More than a century later, the name continues to spark conversation — just as Saunders intended.