Evan Schuman's StorefrontBacktalk

Focusing on recent improvements in refrigeration technology, the 115-store Piggly Wiggly is pledging to radically revamp its stores. The grocery chain is shaking up product positioning issues—all frozen foods are kept together, for example—that have been considered sacrosanct for decades.

“When you enter the Piggly Wiggly at The Market Common, you don’t see check-out lines. You don’t go down five aisles to get ingredients for one meal,” said Piggly Wiggly CEO David Schools. A statement said the chain will now “arrange food items based on how customers naturally look for them. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruit, for instance, will be in the same location, as will cereal and milk. One stop stations will offer complete meal solutions with items such as ground beef, hamburger buns, chips and beer grouped together for backyard grilling.” Will it work? Possibly. Then again, this is the same chain that strongly touted it’s support for biometric payment.