The self-service concept in retailing that supermarkets and discount department stores presently use was not invented until 1916. Clarence Saunders of Memphis, Tennessee, introduced the idea, in his Piggly Wiggly chain of ;small grocery stores in 1916. Saunders set up his stores so that customers passed through a turn stile and followed a predetermined course through the store, exposing them to the appeal of all the merchandise displayed on the shelves. The self-service concept was a revolutionary discovery for retailers. It allowed store owners to concentrate on the presentation of goods and became an integral piece of the scientific management theories used by retailers to increase sales and profits. Saunders's simple idea caught on and developed into a concept.....
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