Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. (PWADC) is heading into its May food show and aims to build on recent gains in show performance, private label, fresh and digital participation.
Tod Seiling, who joined PWADC as chief merchandising officer in October 2025 after executive roles with Lidl US and Save A Lot, said the co-op has been moving deliberately to “close gaps and sharpen its value proposition for independent retailers.”
The momentum is visible in the numbers. PWADC’s January 2026 show sold 100 percent more cases than the January 2025 event and surpassed the September 2025 fall show – traditionally the co-op’s largest, according to Seiling.
“We brought something a little bit different that Piggly Wiggly Alabama had not experienced before,” he said of the January show. “It was very successful.”
The January show marked the first time PWADC introduced new elements – greater emphasis on new products and innovation, themed and decorated booths and more structured opportunities for supplier and retailer collaboration – elements Seiling noted are common across the industry but new for PWADC’s events.
The next show – set for May 12 and 13 at the Finley Center in Hoover, Alabama – will go further, adding educational seminars on digital advertising platforms and fresh department strategy alongside supplier deals and new product debuts.
Private label line
Among the May show’s headline announcements is the launch of Sol Select, a new private label line that is entry price-point focused. Seiling emphasized the quality positioning despite the value tier. The bilingual packaging is designed to stand out on the shelf.
The launch comes as PWADC’s private label category is experiencing double-digit growth – a reinvigoration that President and CEO Christopher Brown began before Seiling’s arrival and that both executives have continued to accelerate.
Additional innovation within the flagship Piggly Wiggly brand also is in the pipeline, including new protein offerings, updated packaging and category expansion in frozen.
“We understand the importance of private label with today’s consumer, the importance of quality and value. Both carry equal weight, in my opinion,” Seiling said.
Winning in fresh
Fresh is another area where PWADC is pushing to distinguish itself – and Seiling said the co-op’s position may surprise people outside the membership.
“We are in the top five distributors of Certified Angus Beef (CAB) in the nation,” he said. “I don’t know how many people within the industry would guess that Piggly Wiggly Alabama is one of the top five distributors of the premium beef program in the U.S. … That’s a big deal.”
Building on that foundation, PWADC has expanded fresh seafood, added case-ready grinds with organic and grass-fed options and introduced further-prepared convenience items such as marinades and kebabs.
The May show also will debut retail-ready beef products designed to help stores reduce shrink and simplify production.
Digital growth – with room to run
As PWADC works to better serve its 60 percent of stores now on digital platforms – which generate about 75 percent of total co-op revenue – Seiling acknowledged the push for broader retailer participation.
“We’re teaming with our digital partners to offer retailers the opportunity to attend monthly webinars to become acquainted with the technology offerings,” he said.
“Getting the retailers that are not on board to understand the opportunity that they’re missing – we’ve had a lot of people sign up in the past few months, and they’re having great success with it.”
The May show’s digital advertising seminars are designed in part to accelerate that adoption, helping retailers understand the tools available and the consumers they can reach.
Brand building, new member appeal
The cooperative also is expanding brand visibility through sponsorships, including the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix race in March, the April Talladega NASCAR race and a partnership with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League.
“People love the Pig and Piggly Wiggly, and we have to continue to spread that word to a newer generation of consumers,” Seiling said.
“I don’t know that in recent history we’ve told our story in the right manner or to a great enough degree, and we’re concentrating on that.”
For prospective members weighing their options, Seiling frames PWADC’s value in terms that go well beyond logistics and purchasing power.
“We have to be more than a distributor. We have to provide the solutions, ensure our customers have a strong awareness of what’s going on with consumer trends – the supplier side, the innovation, the broader industry developments – what’s going on there. And they need to trust us – our insights, our guidance,” he said.
That includes managing complexity – FSMA 204 compliance, SNAP benefit changes and other regulatory and legislative shifts – so retailers can stay focused on their customers.
“[We try to] handle as much of the complexity as possible from our end, so the retailers can focus on running their stores and taking care of their customers. If we have that mindset, we have a greater ability to set them up for success,” Seiling said.
Supply chain, cost of goods
On the operational side, PWADC has brought on a new third-party logistics partner to shift more inbound freight to backhaul and customer pickup scenarios – a move already generating cost-of-goods savings, with more expected to follow.
A comprehensive review of buying activity also is under way, covering terms, capital allocation, buy frequency and freight management from end to end.
“We’ve already experienced some big wins, and I know there’s more to come,” Seiling said.
The cumulative effect, he added, is a co-op that looks and feels different than it did 15 months ago – and one that is committed to making sure independent retailers remain viable long into the future.
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