The first self-service grocery store, Piggly Wiggly, was opened in 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee, by Clarence Saunders, an inventor and entrepreneur. Prior to this innovation, grocery stores operated "over the counter," with customers asking a grocer to retrieve items from inventory.

Butcher. Many grocery stores also offer butcher departments. These sections offer fresh cuts of raw meat and seafood sold either pre-packaged or by weight or cut.

Essentially, supermarkets are like a one-size-fits-all store, while grocery stores are more specialized. Supermarkets may seem like a smarter choice, with the wider variety of products and the chance to reach a broader audience, but there are several compelling reasons you may choose to open a grocery store instead.

A grocer is a shopkeeper who sells foods such as flour, sugar, and tinned foods. 2. countable noun. A grocer or a grocer's is a shop where foods such as flour, sugar, and tinned foods are sold.