Which company opened the first true supermarket in 1930 in Queens, New York?

King Kullen opened the first true supermarket in 1930 in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

The store was created by Michael J. Cullen, a former Kroger manager whose proposal for a large, low-price, self-service grocery format had been rejected. On August 4, 1930, he opened King Kullen in a converted garage, combining groceries, separate departments, discount pricing, and ample parking.

The concept succeeded because it matched Depression-era shopping habits: customers wanted lower prices and were willing to travel farther and serve themselves. Cullen’s slogan was “pile it high and sell it cheap,” and the store carried roughly 1,000 products, including groceries, hardware, and automotive supplies.

Claims about the first supermarket can vary because earlier stores introduced individual features such as self-service or parking. King Kullen is the standard answer for the first “true” supermarket because it combined self-service, multiple departments, discount prices, and volume selling in one operation.