This is a list of all known chain grocery addresses in Little Rock and North Little Rock between 1925 and 2021, compiled from city directories, telephone books, and other sources. It is generated through a live Google Spreadsheet so it reflects the latest information I have.
View and download a copy of this location spreadsheet via Google Sheets.
Notes:
- Kroger apparently entered Little Rock through the purchase of Cox Cash Stores. They also did several swaps with Black & White Stores.
- Safeway owned Little Rock’s Piggly Wiggly stores by at least 1930. Some stores were listed as “Safeway” in 1935 but may actually have operated as Piggly Wiggly stores.
- Model Markets was a franchise/co-op. Black & White may have been as well.
- National Tea was in and out in less than a decade.
- Harvest Foods was the name given to Safeway stores when they were purchased ca. 1987 as part of Safeway’s exit from the market. Based on the directory information, there is some question about whether some stores may have closed for a time between owners. Harvest went bankrupt in 1995 and things got confusing after that with stores being listed under multiple banners (Harvest, City Market, and Food Giant). Edwards Food Giant seems to be the survivor of that lineage today.
- Kroger ended up purchasing several Harvest locations and now operates at least one stores that was probably built as a Safeway and another than started as Skaggs-Albertsons (later Skaggs-Alpha Beta).
Store tags:
- Black & White
- Cox Cash Stores
- Harvest Foods/City Market/Edwards Food Giant
- IGA
- Kroger
- Model Markets
- National
- Piggly Wiggly
- Safeway
- Weingarten
