This is a list of all chain grocery locations my research has uncovered in Shreveport between 1925 and 2020, compiled from city directories, telephone books, and other sources. There may be some omissions due to incomplete or missing data, etc. and I welcome suggestions and corrections. Please read about my methodology for more information about what I do and do not include. Thanks to wnetmacman for some helpful clarifications on this list.
View and download a copy of this location spreadsheet via Google Sheets.
Timeline highlights:
- 1918: Shreveport’s first Piggly Wiggly opens at 214 Texas Street.
- 1922: Big Chain is established as a unit of the Weiner Loeb Grocery Co. and is bought out the next year by manager Ed Wile, D.R. Sandifer, and Louis Levy. Big Chain will eventually operate cafeterias under the same name as the grocery stores.
- 1929: A&P opens its first three Shreveport-Bossier locations.
- 1949: The “ultra modern” Big Chain Shopping Center opens at Jewella and Lakeshore. It will be expanded in 1956 and again in 1967 (when a new Kroger store is constructed at the rear of the center).
- 1956: J. Weingarten opens its first Shreveport location.
- 1956: Kroger acquires Big Chain and operates the stores under that name until 1963, when they are rebranded as Kroger stores. The cafeterias retain the big Chain name.
- 1960: Brookshire’s opens its first two stores in Shreveport.
- 1972: Safeway and Skaggs-Albertsons enter the market.
- 1975: A&P closes all is Shreveport area stores.
- 1982: J. Weingarten exits Shreveport.
- 1985: Kroger acquired most of the local Besyet stores, with the remainder going to a Piggly Wiggly operator in the region.
- 1987: Safeway exits the market.
- 2018: Whole Foods opens a Shreveport branch.
- 2022: Aldi announces plans to enter the market.
Related material offsite:
Some images:
Store tags:
- A&P
- Bestyet
- Big Chain
- Bookshire’s/Super 1
- County Market
- Kroger
- Piggly Wiggly
- Weingarten’s
Updated on 4 October 2023
