b'C o m m u n i t yultimately led to Howards success, especially alongbrand, and the latter of which is a direct match to the border. In 1928, he moved his family and thePace Picante Sauceand both of which cost at least companys headquarters to Harlingen, and during20% less than the national brands. A rare few, in the first years of the Great Depression, Butts Pigglyour experience, are quackersHEBs Ritz Cracker Wiggly business expanded, even renovating storesknock-off is a fail because they crumble too easi-whilemostoftherestofthecountrysretailersly, and their Coffee Mate try is too damned vanil-contracted and closed. In one, very sweet, article inla-tasting. For just about anything else, the HEB the Kerrville newspaper praising the local familysbrand is just as good and always costs less.success, the company was referred to as the PigglyThe investment that the company makes in develop-Top/Left: Butt family photo in Kerrville, 1900s.Top/Right:Wiggly-Butt Grocery Company. ing and manufacturing thousands upon thousands Inside the second C.C. Butt Grocery Store in Kerrville,In1935,thenwith31stores,Howarddroppedof national-brand alternatives of equal quality is a Florence and son Howard.Above/Middle: The Piggly Wigglythe Piggly Wiggly brand and renamed his compa- major key to HEBs success. Almost anywhere else self-service grocery store model.Above: Butts Piggly Wigglyny H.E. Butt Grocery Company, with plans to takeyou shop, the knock-off, store brand is what you buy Harlingen store damaged in 1933 hurricane.Below: Mainhis business in a new, vertical direction. The nextwhen in-laws are visiting, the paycheck is short, bakery and distribution center off Agnes St., built in 1936. year, he purchased a canning company and builtor the end consumers wont know the difference. a massive bakery facility off Agnes St. in CorpusAt HEB, first, the store brand product is good, and Christi,hisfirstmajormoveintostore-brandedsecond, it costs much less. The formula sometimes products. Therein, a prime secret to HEBs successbackfires for shoppers, who are left with pricey na-is revealed: no grocery chain has succeeded in thetional brands when their favorite HEB product is production and marketing of its in-house productssold out. Bagged Splenda is $2 more than HEBs ex-like HEBits not even close. act match, which is often impossible to find!It is a far less-taxing effort to list the product linesItshouldberecognized,however,thatbecause sold in HEB stores for which in-store options are un- much of the shelf space at HEB is taken up by its available, than to list those that are. Some of thoseown products, variety can, in some aisles, be con-products, like Texas-shaped HEB white corn chips,siderably less than what you find at IGA stores, for have drawn a cult-like following, but on a practicalexample, and to some extent, even at Walmart.level, there is virtually (that word again) nothingIn 1940, four years after opening the bakery facili-you consume on a regular basis that is not availablety, Howard moved the H.E. Butt Grocery Co. head-under an HEB brand. To us, the very best are thequarters to Corpus Christi, and in 1952 the compa-brewed diet tea in jugs and medium chunky salsa,nys first, true supermarket of over 25,000 square the former of which is unmatched by any nationalfeet,whichincludedanin-storebakery,butcher 32THE COASTAL BEND GUIDE TheCoastalBend.com'