Which retail format was introduced by Michael Cullen's King Kullen in 1930?

The supermarket retail format was introduced by Michael Cullen’s King Kullen in 1930. Cullen’s store in Queens combined self-service shopping, low prices, multiple grocery departments and a large sales area.

Supermarkets developed from earlier grocery innovations. Piggly Wiggly had introduced self-service in 1916, allowing shoppers to select goods directly from shelves. King Kullen added the scale and assortment that became associated with the modern supermarket, including fresh food and packaged grocery departments in one location.

The format changed the relationship between shoppers and store staff. Customers moved through aisles, chose products themselves and paid at centralized checkout counters. Large volumes and efficient operations helped supermarkets compete on price.

A supermarket is not simply any large grocery store. A convenience store typically offers a smaller assortment and longer opening hours, while a hypermarket combines a very large grocery operation with extensive general merchandise. The supermarket became one of the defining formats of twentieth-century retail.