Piggly Wiggly plants roots on Dunnavant Valley Road

After years of planning and months of construction, Piggly Wiggly is coming to Dunnavant Valley Road this fall.

Plans for the grocery store started in the fall of 2013, according to owner Naseem Ajlouny, but at that time the area could not support a new grocery store.

“There weren’t enough homes out there,” Ajlouny said. “It would not have been very profitable.”

Over the years, Ajlouny said, they have continued to complete surveys and keep an eye on the area. In November 2016, the timing was right.

“There was a lot of [housing] inventory at one time. The housing inventory is down. We expect a lot of homes are being built out there, and Mt Laurel is going to continue building homes,” Ajlouny said.

After signing a lease in 2016, Ajlouny and his team started work on architectural plans. 

The new store is set to open sometime before September 2018. It will be the 13th Piggly Wiggly in the Birmingham area and its surrounding suburbs, and for area residents, Ajlouny said it is a needed business.

“There’s a lot of buzz in the neighborhood in Highland Lakes and Greystone just from people I know and people who know me. They can’t wait until the store opens,” he said, adding that residents in that area typically have to drive “a long way” to get to other grocery stores.

The new store will include a deli counter, fresh seafood, local products and a large craft beer and wine section, like shoppers can see in other Piggly Wiggly stores in the area, Ajlouny said.

“Our craft beers have become a big, big thing in all of our stores,” referencing the store’s Craftly Beerly section. “And we carry a lot of speciality foods, specialty items.”

They can also expect good customer service from the locally owned store.

Since Piggly Wiggly was first established in 1916, Ajlouny said the stores have worked to modify based on the needs and wants of customers. This includes changing up stores to include salad bars and places where shoppers can pick up a variety of cheeses and olives. 

The Dunnavant Valley store will also work with Shipt for grocery delivery to customers.

“We really listen to our customers, and we try to — nobody’s 100 percent — but we better be 99 percent getting what our customers want and need. It’s all about the customers with us,” Ajlouny said.

While delays from rain and construction along Dunnavant Valley Road delayed the store’s planned July opening, Ajlouny said they are anxious to get their doors open.

“We’re trying to plan for it as much as we can,” he said. “I do think that it’s going to be great for the community, all of the communities out on Dunnavant Valley.”

The new store is located at 1324 Dunnavant Valley Road.