History of Supermarket in Timeline

A supermarket is a self-service retail establishment providing a diverse array of food, drinks, and household goods, systematically arranged in sections. Supermarkets offer a greater selection than traditional grocery stores but are smaller and less diversified than hypermarkets. Originating in the United States around 1930, supermarkets emerged from retail innovations over two decades and expanded internationally following promotion in 1956. The term 'grocery store' is often used interchangeably with 'supermarket' in American English.

1915: Astor Market Founded

In 1915, Vincent Astor founded the Astor Market in Manhattan, investing $750,000 into what was essentially an open-air mini-mall for food.

1916: Piggly Wiggly Opens

In 1916, Clarence Saunders opened the first Piggly Wiggly store, which was a self-service grocery store. Saunders developed and patented the ideas used in these stores.

1917: Astor Market Folds

In 1917, the Astor Market folded due to difficulty attracting customers, even from nearby.

1929: Combination Stores Limited

By 1929, only one in three U.S. grocery stores was a combination store, which combined several departments under one roof.

August 1930: King Kullen Opens

On August 4, 1930, Michael J. Cullen opened the first true supermarket, King Kullen, in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. The store was known for discount pricing.

1930: Supermarket Retail Format Appears

Around 1930, the supermarket retail format first appeared in the United States, marking a culmination of nearly two decades of retail innovations.

1930: Alpha Beta and Ralphs Operate Self-Service Stores

By 1930, both Alpha Beta and Ralphs were operating multiple self-service grocery stores; however, their prices remained high and their main selling point was free parking.

1930: Percentage of Disposable Income Spent on Food

In 1930, 21 percent of disposable income was spent on food.

1933: Big Bear Opens First Supermarket

In 1933, Big Bear opened its first supermarket in New Jersey and collected more revenue in one year than over a hundred A&P stores.

1933: Monopsony Proposed

In 1933, Joan Robinson proposed the idea of "monopsony", that a single buyer could outmaneuver a market of multiple sellers, becoming an anti-chain rhetorical device.

1934: First Supermarket Opens in Québec

In 1934, Québec's first supermarket opened in Montréal under the banner Steinberg's.

1936: King Kullen Stores in Operation

By 1936, at the time of Michael J. Cullen's death, there were seventeen King Kullen stores in operation.

1936: Robinson-Patman Act Implemented

In 1936, the Robinson-Patman Act was implemented to prevent large chains from using their buying power to gain advantages over small stores.

1936: Supermarket Increase

In 1936, there were 1,200 supermarkets in 32 states.

1937: A&P Stores Losing Money

By 1937, 44 percent of A&P stores were losing money, marking the impact of the rise of supermarkets.

1937: Supermarket Numbers Almost Triple

In 1937, the number of American supermarkets almost tripled to over 3,000 in 47 states.

1938: A&P Opens Supermarkets

By 1938, A&P had opened over 1,100 supermarkets in response to the competition.

February 1940: A&P Closes Grocery Stores

By February 1940, A&P had closed 5,950 grocery stores and reduced the percentage of money-losing stores.

1940: Percentage of Disposable Income Spent on Food Decreases

In 1940, the percentage of disposable income spent on food decreased to 16 percent due to the success of the supermarket format.

1947: Limited Self-Service Shops in the UK

In 1947, there were just ten self-service shops in the United Kingdom.

1950: Supermarkets Exceed 15,000

By 1950, there were well over 15,000 supermarkets in the United States.

1951: Pitch to Open Supermarkets in the UK

In 1951, Patrick Galvani made a pitch to the board to open a chain of supermarkets across the UK.

1956: American Way Exhibit in Rome

In 1956, the U.S. Department of Agriculture presented an "American Way exhibit" at the International Food Congress in Rome, Italy, including the first fully stocked supermarket outside of the United States.

1956: Supermarkets Spread Internationally

In 1956, the supermarket began to spread to other countries after extensive worldwide publicity.

1957: Supermarket USA at Zagreb International Trade Fair

In 1957, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Association of Food Chains presented Supermarket USA at the Zagreb International Trade Fair in Yugoslavia. It was the first fully operational American-style supermarket in a communist country.