Customers took what they needed and paid cash at the check-out counter by the exit. Saunders' brainchild eliminated much of his overhead, including the need to pay multiple clerks. Accordingly, he slashed his prices and proceeded to build an empire. At its zenith, Piggly Wiggly had 3,000 stores nationwide. The independents fought back.
Supermarkets hit stride But another competitor, the modern supermarket, had entered the race.
The key, he explained, was volume. By selling a great quantity of merchandise rapidly, Cullen said he would be able to show a profit with lower markups than ever before. In other words, I could afford to sell a can of Milk at cost if I could sell a can of Peas and make 2 cents. I would have to call out the police and let the public in so many at a time. Unbelievably, Kroger's rejected Cullen's impassioned plea.