TEXARKANA – A familiar name in grocery is making its way back to Texarkana.
Two Piggly Wiggly Cost Plus stores are expected to open within the next several months, said Geoff Salisbury, a regional supervisor for Piggly Wiggly Cost Plus in Magnolia, Arkansas. The openings are part of a rebranding for Save a Lot stores on New Boston Road on the Texas side and East Street on the Arkansas side.
"It could happen within this year," said Salisbury, who has helped to oversee the transition of eight Save a Lot stores in the region. "That is our goal, but I don't have a specific date. We just have to get through (the Magnolia store) first."
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Piggly Wiggly Cost Plus is operated by Kenyan Enterprises, which has 15 locations from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Natchitoches, Louisiana.
Salisbury said Kenyan has partnered with Save a Lot for about 20 years. He said Save a Lot carries a limited assortment of the national brands that customers want.
"Over the last few years, most of our customers, clientele-wise, have voiced opinions about wanting more variety to choose from," he said. "In order to give customers what they want, what we've done is transition eight Save a Lot's into Piggly Wiggly Cost Plus stores. And we have three more left to go."
Salisbury said the Piggly Wiggly Cost Plus stores will have more variety in produce, more lunch meat items, more fresh meat items and a range of frozen dairy and ice cream products.
However, it's not just a broader selection of food that attracts people to Piggly Wiggly.
"The nostalgia factor is off the charts," he said. "Everywhere we go when we turn one of these, the customers ask what's going on. And when we tell them, it's, 'Oh my goodness, I remember 30 years ago coming in here with my grandma or whoever. I can't believe you're bringing it back.'
"Slowly but surely over the past couple of years, we've brought it back, and there's just been a wow factor to it."
He said the stores also have been successful in selling Piggly Wiggly merchandise, including shirts and hats emblazoned with the pig logo.
The Magnolia store will hold a grand opening on June 1.
"It's been a really fun process," Salisbury said. "It's crazy to see how much it's caught fire, and we've just enjoyed talking to everyone about it so much."
Piggly Wiggly Cost Plus in Magnolia, Arkansas, will hold a grand opening on June 1. (Photo courtesy of Geoff Salisbury)