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Subject: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: Marty McFly on 09/15/05 at 9:34 am
http://www.inthe00s.com/index.php/topic,12463.0.html
Inspired by ^ this topic in the "Places that No Longer Exist" category, I was just thinking about this, but when did the very first of what we would call supermarkets begin cropping up?
I know they exploded by the 70's, but based on what I know, I'd guess the first ones were roughly 1960-65, reaching high popularity by 1970. Does this sound accurate? ;)
In the 50's and before, most grocery stores were more like a slightly larger 7-11 (somewhere between that and a now tradional supermarket) I believe.
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: karen on 09/15/05 at 10:52 am
I'll get back to you tomorrow on this. Bill Bryson's book Made in America has a section on this.
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: CatwomanofV on 09/15/05 at 12:02 pm
According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarket
Early retailers did not trust their customers. In many stores, all products had to be fetched by an assistant from high shelves on one side of a counter while the customers stood on the other side and pointed to what they wanted. Also, many foods did not come in the individually wrapped consumer-size packages taken for granted today, so a clerk had to measure out the precise amount desired by the consumer. These practices were obviously labor-intensive and therefore quite expensive.
The concept of a self-service grocery store was developed by Clarence Saunders and his Piggly Wiggly stores. A&P was the most successful of the early chains in the United States, having become common in American cities in the 1920s. The general trend in retail since then has been to stack shelves at night and let the customers get their own goods and bring them to the front of the store to pay for them. Although there is a higher risk of shoplifting, the costs of appropriate security measures will be ideally outweighed by the economies of scale and reduced labor costs.
According to the Smithsonian Institution, the first true supermarket in the United States was opened by ex-Kroger employee Michael J. Cullen, on August 4, 1930, in a 6,000 square foot (560 m²) former garage in Jamaica, Queens, New York. The store, King Kullen, following King Kong, operated under the slogan "Pile it high. Sell it low." When Cullen died in 1936, there were seventeen stores in operation.
Supermarkets proliferated in the United States along with suburban areas after World War II. Supermarkets in the USA are now often co-located with department stores in strip malls and are generally regional rather than national. Kroger is probably the closest thing in the U.S. to a national chain but has preserved most of its regional brands like Ralphs.
It was formerly common for supermarkets to give trading stamps. Today, most supermarkets issue store-specific "members cards," "club cards," or "loyalty cards" which are scanned at the register when the customer goes to check-out. Typically, several items are given special discounts if the credit card-like devices are used.
In Britain, France and other European countries, the proliferation of out-of-town supermarkets has been blamed for the disappearance of smaller, local grocery stores and for increased dependency on the motor car (and the consequent traffic). In particular, some critics consider the practice of selling loss leaders to be anti-competitive, and are also wary of the negotiating power large retailers have with suppliers.
Today supermarkets face price competition from discount retailers such as Wal-Mart (non-union labor and greater buying power) and warehouse stores such as Costco (savings in bulk quantities).
A little side note. My great-grandfather was one of founding members of Central Markets in the Schenectady, NY area in the 1930s. Today, Central Markets are known as Price Chopper. What really p1sses me off is that their website makes it seem that his partners had all the ideas when in fact it was my great-grandfather. >:(
Cat
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: Marty McFly on 09/15/05 at 10:48 pm
Interesting info, Cat - thanks for sharing it. That's cool to hear about your great grandpa being a founder too! :)
You know, I have seen signs up at Safeway (chain in California, at least) saying things like "Serving you since 1927", but I'd always assumed they'd started out as conveinence/old time stores and worked their way up.
I have yet to ever see a "shopping cart" supermarket in the earlier 20th century, but that would be cool, to borrow a quote from Beavis & Butthead! ;)
I would wager it didn't get to where every city had them like they do now, until 1965 or so, but I guess it had to build up for thirty years or so.
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: karen on 09/16/05 at 3:33 am
Shopping trolleys were first introduced by a store owner in Oklahoma named Sylan Goldman in 1936. At first customers were reluctant to use them until Goldman employed half a dozen people to push the carts around pretending to shop.
As late as 1955 95 % of America's 360,000 grocery stores were mom and pop corner businesse or medium-sized stores known as superettes.
(Source Made in America by Bill Bryson
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: hot_wax on 09/21/05 at 11:57 pm
http://www.inthe00s.com/index.php/topic,12463.0.html
Inspired by ^ this topic in the "Places that No Longer Exist" category, I was just thinking about this, but when did the very first of what we would call supermarkets begin cropping up?
I know they exploded by the 70's, but based on what I know, I'd guess the first ones were roughly 1960-65, reaching high popularity by 1970. Does this sound accurate? ;)
In the 50's and before, most grocery stores were more like a slightly larger 7-11 (somewhere between that and a now tradional supermarket) I believe.
Marty, for what I can remember, the A & P an ACME "super" markets were big stores in the early fifties and all other that are big chain stores of today all started in the 50's and explode in the 60's, the SUPER DUPER stores Costco BJ's etc started in the 70's.
Hot Wax
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: jackas on 09/22/05 at 12:38 am
Interesting info, Cat - thanks for sharing it. That's cool to hear about your great grandpa being a founder too! :)
You know, I have seen signs up at Safeway (chain in California, at least) saying things like "Serving you since 1927", but I'd always assumed they'd started out as conveinence/old time stores and worked their way up.
I have yet to ever see a "shopping cart" supermarket in the earlier 20th century, but that would be cool, to borrow a quote from Beavis & Butthead! ;)
I would wager it didn't get to where every city had them like they do now, until 1965 or so, but I guess it had to build up for thirty years or so.
I miss Safeway. :( The grocery stores in the south..at least in Pensacola....are crappy. We do have Albertson's, but the stores look old inside. Believe it or not, Walmart is the nicest grocery store in the area. It's clean, bright and has big open aisles.
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: Wiffle on 09/22/05 at 12:55 am
I miss Safeway. :( The grocery stores in the south..at least in Pensacola....are crappy. We do have Albertson's, but the stores look old inside. Believe it or not, Walmart is the nicest grocery store in the area. It's clean, bright and has big open aisles.
I noticed, after the fact, that when I lived in Southern California, grocery stores tended to be crappy. Even in the nicer areas, the stores seemed dingey and dirty and outdated. Perhaps the actual facilities were older or something.
Here in Texas, and I have lived in several areas of the state, the grocery stores tend to be nice and bright and oh so clean. We have two above average chains, one is Kroger Signature chain, and the other is Tom Thumb/Randalls. The Albertson's are always dirty, old, and overpriced.
Also, when I lived in some older areas of Los Angeles County, there were neighborhood markets that had become convenience stores/liquor stores. They were shells of the former mom & pop groceries from the 1930s - 1950s. Back in the 1980s some of them still carried a produce section and maybe even some meats. The older stores had no off street parking, a testament to a lower population, and with more smaller stores, a smaller customer base. Plus, people didn't have so many cars and walked more.
My grandparents operated a mom & pop grocery back in the 1940s and 1950s in Tucson, AZ. The vacant building is still standing but it is hard to imagine a store that small by today's standards. I think there were perhaps six or eight parking spots in front of the building, which held three businesses including the grocery store.
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: Dan78 on 10/03/05 at 11:14 pm
There is a great website out there called Groceteria.com @ http://www.groceteria.net/index.html
It is absolutely filled with history on many supermarkets, Safeway, Kroger, Albertson's, and many other smaller chains. Very, very, interesting website!
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: ultraviolet52 on 10/04/05 at 12:29 am
I miss Safeway. :( The grocery stores in the south..at least in Pensacola....are crappy. We do have Albertson's, but the stores look old inside. Believe it or not, Walmart is the nicest grocery store in the area. It's clean, bright and has big open aisles.
We still have Safeway's here in Northern California. They're all being updated and turning to more earthtones inside, so it's a warmer environment rather than the super bright lights and white ceiling environment that has dominated for the last ten years or so..
Subject: Re: The beginning of supermarkets?
Written By: Marian on 10/05/05 at 1:55 pm
I miss Safeway. :( The grocery stores in the south..at least in Pensacola....are crappy. We do have Albertson's, but the stores look old inside. Believe it or not, Walmart is the nicest grocery store in the area. It's clean, bright and has big open aisles.
AAlbertson's used to have really bad baked goods until they got Krispy Kreme products!