Two Wisconsin Piggly Wiggly Stores Change to Fox Bros.
Shoppers and suppliers at the De Pere and Kaukauna stores should prepare for a new operator and new products starting January 31, 2027.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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StoneRidge Meat and Country Markets is selling its De Pere and Kaukauna Piggly Wiggly stores to Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly, effective January 31, 2027. Wisconsin grocery shoppers in those two communities will see a change of operator in roughly 90 days, and the new owner is a 100% employee-owned company.
Why it matters
StoneRidge has owned the two stores since January 2018, having bought them from Larry's Markets, Inc. The company says the sale gives it more time to focus on wholesale production of snack sticks and sausage at its Wautoma facility.
The transaction covers two Piggly Wiggly stores, one in De Pere and one in Kaukauna, that StoneRidge has operated since January 2018. Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly, which currently runs eleven Wisconsin stores, will take over both locations, while the terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The players
StoneRidge Meat and Country Markets
A Wisconsin meat processor and retailer that operates a wholesale division producing snack sticks and sausage at its Wautoma facility.
Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly
A 100% employee-owned Wisconsin grocery chain operating eleven Piggly Wiggly locations across the state.
Larry's Markets, Inc.
The former owner from which StoneRidge purchased the De Pere and Kaukauna stores in 2018.
The details
Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly plans to bring its award-winning brats and sausages and its lowest legal spirits program into both stores, and to hold exclusive sale events throughout the year. The company is 100% employee-owned and has established an ESOP that gives employees an ownership stake in the business. StoneRidge is shifting its operational focus toward wholesale production at its Wautoma facility, which is why it is exiting retail at these two locations.
Timeline
January 2018: StoneRidge began owning the De Pere and Kaukauna stores.
November 2, 2026: The sale was announced in a press release.
January 31, 2027: The sale to Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly becomes effective.
Market Landscape
The sale reflects independent Piggly Wiggly operators in Wisconsin consolidating and reshuffling store ownership within the brand's regional network. It also shows a meat producer choosing to exit grocery retail to focus capital and attention on its wholesale manufacturing business.
Shoppers in De Pere and Kaukauna should expect a change in store operator and new product offerings, including Fox Bros. brats, sausages, and spirits, once the transfer closes. Employees and suppliers at both stores should watch for communications about continuity of staffing and vendor relationships ahead of the January 31, 2027 transition.
The takeaway
For Wisconsin operators, this is a reminder that regional producers may exit retail to concentrate on manufacturing, creating ownership changes within franchise networks. Businesses that supply or service these stores should confirm contract continuity with the incoming operator well before the January 31, 2027 effective date.
What happens next
The sale to Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly is scheduled to take effect on January 31, 2027, when the new owner is expected to take over operations at both stores.
Further reading
For more context on store transitions like this one, browse recent Openings & Closings coverage across the state.
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