OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Later, maybe by 1956, the store started staying open to 6.
There was only one supermarket on the north side. .

Even though my father worked downtown, and we lived in a nice totally
residential area, it was only 1.5 miles. So he usually either walked
to work or took the bus, and he often got a ride home with a friend
while he was waiting for the bus to go home. There were only two
streets that went north from downtown, and one was really northwest
and went from industrial almost straight to farmland.

So my mother usallly had the car and she could go shopping between 9
and 3 (I got home from school at 3:35.) but women who worked or whose
husband took the car must have had a problem.

Anyone remember? Where were you in the 50's?

On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:01:31 -0500, micky
wrote:

OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.



Anyone remember? Where were you in the 50's?

In the 50's I was in grammar school in Philadelphia. One car family,
dad took it to work, mom walked to the supermarket. At least one or
two days a week it was open until 9 PM. Other days, it was at least
until 6 PM. Not sure of the opening time, it was about 8 or 9 AM.

Of course it was closed on Sunday. After all, who would want to go
shopping on a Sunday?

About that time, in New Jersey the Pennsaulken Mart opened four days a
week, Thursday to Sunday. It was just across the Tacony Palmyra
Bridge (5¢ toll) and there would be a lot of car from Philly heading
there. The Mart has a long building with many stores renting space on
the outer two aisles and the center aisle. Everything from food to
furnishings to haircuts was available.

pennsylvania had sunday blue laws that kept most stores closed on
sundays till perhaps 1980...

currently the biggest shopping day is sunday...

On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:30:34 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:01:31 -0500, micky
wrote:

OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.



Anyone remember? Where were you in the 50's?

In the 50's I was in grammar school in Philadelphia. One car family,
dad took it to work, mom walked to the supermarket. At least one or
two days a week it was open until 9 PM.

Philadelphia is a big city. They probably had that in New Castle, Pa.
a few years later, but I'm prtty sure they cloesed at 5 or 6 -- wish I
knew wish -- until 1955.

Other days, it was at least
until 6 PM. Not sure of the opening time, it was about 8 or 9 AM.

Of course it was closed on Sunday. After all, who would want to go
shopping on a Sunday?

About that time, in New Jersey the Pennsaulken Mart opened four days a
week, Thursday to Sunday. It was just across the Tacony Palmyra
Bridge (5¢ toll) and there would be a lot of car from Philly heading
there. The Mart has a long building with many stores renting space on
the outer two aisles and the center aisle. Everything from food to
furnishings to haircuts was available.

I've been across that bridge. Missed the Mart, however.

micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Later, maybe by 1956, the store started staying open to 6.
There was only one supermarket on the north side. .

Even though my father worked downtown, and we lived in a nice totally
residential area, it was only 1.5 miles. So he usually either walked
to work or took the bus, and he often got a ride home with a friend
while he was waiting for the bus to go home. There were only two
streets that went north from downtown, and one was really northwest
and went from industrial almost straight to farmland.

So my mother usallly had the car and she could go shopping between 9
and 3 (I got home from school at 3:35.) but women who worked or whose
husband took the car must have had a problem.

Anyone remember? Where were you in the 50's?

I was born in the mid-50's so I can't speak to store hours during that
decade.

However, I do remember that is was in the early 70's when the Pathmark
chain in NYC began staying open 24 hours on workdays and until midnight on
weekends. As far as I recall, they were the chain that started the 24 hour
supermarket hours that are so common today.

It's interesting that Pathmark (and other "modern" (at the time) chains)
basically knocked A&P out of the supermarket business - a space that A&P
once dominated - only to have A&P purchase Pathmark sometime in the 2000's,
once again becoming once of the largest supermarket chains in the NYC area.

micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Later, maybe by 1956, the store started staying open to 6.
There was only one supermarket on the north side. .

Even though my father worked downtown, and we lived in a nice totally
residential area, it was only 1.5 miles. So he usually either walked
to work or took the bus, and he often got a ride home with a friend
while he was waiting for the bus to go home. There were only two
streets that went north from downtown, and one was really northwest
and went from industrial almost straight to farmland.

So my mother usallly had the car and she could go shopping between 9
and 3 (I got home from school at 3:35.) but women who worked or whose
husband took the car must have had a problem.

Anyone remember? Where were you in the 50's?

No, but I'm just glad I never lived in Youngstown. Scary place. Are you
Italian ?

Greg

On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:01:31 -0500, micky
wrote:

Where were you in the 50's?

I can't remember store hours. I could walk across the street and buy
an ice cold coke and a candy for 10 cents. Gas station close by was
open from 6 am to 10pm. Gas was 25 cents a gallon. Kerosene was
cheaper. We could use glass jugs for a gallon of fuel.

The fish market across the street was opened around 8am.

Late 50's I watched train cars of military Armour passing by, staging
for the Cuban Missile Crises.

On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 18:46:04 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:01:31 -0500, micky
wrote:

Where were you in the 50's?

I can't remember store hours. I could walk across the street and buy
an ice cold coke and a candy for 10 cents. Gas station close by was
open from 6 am to 10pm. Gas was 25 cents a gallon. Kerosene was
cheaper. We could use glass jugs for a gallon of fuel.

The fish market across the street was opened around 8am.

Late 50's I watched train cars of military Armour passing by, staging
for the Cuban Missile Crises.

.... make my last comment 1962

Almost War

On Nov 25, 2:51*am, Oren wrote:
On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 18:46:04 -0800, Oren wrote:
On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:01:31 -0500, micky
wrote:

Where were you in the 50's?

I can't remember store hours. *I could walk across the street and buy
an ice cold coke and a candy for 10 cents. Gas station close by was
open from 6 am to 10pm. Gas was 25 cents a gallon. Kerosene was
cheaper. We could use glass jugs for a gallon of fuel.

The fish market across the street was opened around 8am.

Late 50's I watched train cars of military Armour passing by, staging
for the Cuban Missile Crises.

... make my last comment 1962

Almost War

Another defeat for the USA.

On Nov 24, 5:43*pm, bob haller wrote:
pennsylvania had sunday blue laws that kept most stores closed on
sundays till perhaps 1980...

currently the biggest shopping day is sunday...

Bergen County NJ still has those blue laws. Stores
are closed on Sunday. I think supermarkets selling
food are exempted. I remember back in the 60s when
Monmouth County, where I live, had the same laws.
We all went on Sunday just across the border to Ocean
County, which was open.
And the whole state must have
some law on motor vehicle dealerships because I
have never seen one open on Sunday.

Around here supermarkets were all open evenings
and on Sunday in the early 60s.

micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Back in the day, when my state had a "Blue Law," stores could be open on
either Saturday or Sunday - pick one.

The demise of the silly Blue Laws was encouraged by one super-store chain's
novel solution: A new company was organized. Named "SUNDAYCO" and was a
wholly-owned subsidary of this city-wide chain.

Each Saturday night, it bought the entire physical plant and existing
merchandise from the chain for "One dollar and other good and valuable
considerations," ran the enterprises for 24 hours, then sold their holdings
back to the parent company Sunday night.

Our betters who ran the state government were none to pleased with this
affront. Even a couple of lawsuits were filed.

As I recall, the stores were full to overflowing every Sunday.

On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 01:49:08 +0000 (UTC), gregz
wrote:

micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Later, maybe by 1956, the store started staying open to 6.
There was only one supermarket on the north side. .

Even though my father worked downtown, and we lived in a nice totally
residential area, it was only 1.5 miles. So he usually either walked
to work or took the bus, and he often got a ride home with a friend
while he was waiting for the bus to go home. There were only two
streets that went north from downtown, and one was really northwest
and went from industrial almost straight to farmland.

So my mother usallly had the car and she could go shopping between 9
and 3 (I got home from school at 3:35.) but women who worked or whose
husband took the car must have had a problem.

Anyone remember? Where were you in the 50's?

No, but I'm just glad I never lived in Youngstown. Scary place. Are you
Italian ?

No, I'm just young..

Actually my grandparents lived in Youngstown for a few years when they
arrived in the US about 1892 and then moved to New Castle Pa. about 20
miles away.

Greg

On 11/25/2012 7:42 AM, HeyBub wrote:
micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Back in the day, when my state had a "Blue Law," stores could be open on
either Saturday or Sunday - pick one.

The demise of the silly Blue Laws was encouraged by one super-store chain's
novel solution: A new company was organized. Named "SUNDAYCO" and was a
wholly-owned subsidary of this city-wide chain.

Each Saturday night, it bought the entire physical plant and existing
merchandise from the chain for "One dollar and other good and valuable
considerations," ran the enterprises for 24 hours, then sold their holdings
back to the parent company Sunday night.

Our betters who ran the state government were none to pleased with this
affront. Even a couple of lawsuits were filed.

As I recall, the stores were full to overflowing every Sunday.



Lawmakers still don't get it after all these years. Any capitalist
enterprise is going to find a way around any stupid law the lawmakers
can come up with. Like what's happening with Abomination Care right now. O_o

TDD

On 11/24/2012 3:01 PM, micky wrote:
....


Anyone remember? Where were you in the 50's?

In _early_ 50s, I was just beginning grade school (in town because
mother insisted we go there instead of the one-room school where were
intended to go up at Brown's corner a mile-and-a-half away).

So, I don't really recall store hours at the time altho I'm aware enough
to know there were still the blue laws and very little other than
service businesses were open at all on Sunday. I'm certain the grocery
stores were open on Saturday; I'm guess their routine closing hours were
probably about 6PM. There were nothing that would qualify as a
"supermarket" although there was a Safeway and one or two stores of a
local/regional chain that were of similar size and content. I say "or"
because while I recall when the new south store was built (about 10
years later) I can't now recall whether there was another one or not--I
have things I recollect that make me think both ways but the specifics
just aren't there to be certain and I'm not up to looking for confirming
data one way or the other...

This was a fairly small (15K) SW KS farm community w/ newly arriving
oil/natural gas exploration and some small manufacturing for Cessna and
Beech aircraft. It had more retail and services by far than the local
population alone would suggest being the largest (by far) town for an
area of roughly 80 mile radius to the east, south and west and 30-40 mi
to the north. The estimated retail service population was probably
about 50-60k at the time if included that service area...

Today the population of the town has almost doubled and it still serves
as a regional center but the demographics and work other than farm has
shifted radically. Amazingly there were crowds at the W-M supercenter
to the extent the fire marshall locked them down to letting others in
only as a group left...can't imagine what could _possibly_ be worth the
hassle.

--

On 11/25/2012 9:22 AM, The Daring Dufas wrote:
On 11/25/2012 7:42 AM, HeyBub wrote:
micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Back in the day, when my state had a "Blue Law," stores could be open on
either Saturday or Sunday - pick one.

The demise of the silly Blue Laws was encouraged by one super-store
chain's
novel solution: A new company was organized. Named "SUNDAYCO" and was a
wholly-owned subsidary of this city-wide chain.

Each Saturday night, it bought the entire physical plant and existing
merchandise from the chain for "One dollar and other good and valuable
considerations," ran the enterprises for 24 hours, then sold their
holdings
back to the parent company Sunday night.

Our betters who ran the state government were none to pleased with this
affront. Even a couple of lawsuits were filed.

As I recall, the stores were full to overflowing every Sunday.



Lawmakers still don't get it after all these years. Any capitalist
enterprise is going to find a way around any stupid law the lawmakers
can come up with. Like what's happening with Abomination Care right now.
O_o

TDD

It is hilarious though how the "conservative family value" stuff such as
spending time with your family doesn't align with the conservative
"absolutely anything is OK as long as someone is making money" mantra.
Can't have it both ways.

On 11/25/2012 9:27 AM, George wrote:
On 11/25/2012 9:22 AM, The Daring Dufas wrote:
On 11/25/2012 7:42 AM, HeyBub wrote:
micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Back in the day, when my state had a "Blue Law," stores could be open on
either Saturday or Sunday - pick one.

The demise of the silly Blue Laws was encouraged by one super-store
chain's
novel solution: A new company was organized. Named "SUNDAYCO" and was a
wholly-owned subsidary of this city-wide chain.

Each Saturday night, it bought the entire physical plant and existing
merchandise from the chain for "One dollar and other good and valuable
considerations," ran the enterprises for 24 hours, then sold their
holdings
back to the parent company Sunday night.

Our betters who ran the state government were none to pleased with this
affront. Even a couple of lawsuits were filed.

As I recall, the stores were full to overflowing every Sunday.



Lawmakers still don't get it after all these years. Any capitalist
enterprise is going to find a way around any stupid law the lawmakers
can come up with. Like what's happening with Abomination Care right now.
O_o

TDD

It is hilarious though how the "conservative family value" stuff such as
spending time with your family doesn't align with the conservative
"absolutely anything is OK as long as someone is making money" mantra.
Can't have it both ways.

Larry Flint is big on family values? Wow, you sure have a distorted view
of just who a capitalist is. O_o

TDD

On Nov 24, 1:01*pm, micky wrote:
OT * *As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Later, maybe by 1956, *the store started staying open to 6.
There was only one supermarket on the north side. *.

Even though my father worked downtown, and we lived in *a nice totally
residential area, it was only 1.5 miles. *So he *usually either walked
to work or took the bus, and he often got a ride home with a friend
while he was waiting for the bus to go home. * There were only two
streets that went north from downtown, and one was really northwest
and went from industrial almost straight to farmland.

So my mother usallly had the car and she could go shopping between 9
and 3 (I got home from school at 3:35.) but women who worked or whose
husband took the car must have had a problem.

Anyone remember? * *Where were you in the 50's?

Back in the 50s the standard was for most businesses to open at 8am -
a practice that badly needs to be reinstated. Time I wait until a
bank opens these days it is at least 9:30am - shoots then entire
morning.

Harry K

On Nov 24, 11:56*pm, harry wrote:
On Nov 25, 2:51*am, Oren wrote:





On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 18:46:04 -0800, Oren wrote:
On Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:01:31 -0500, micky
wrote:

Where were you in the 50's?

I can't remember store hours. *I could walk across the street and buy
an ice cold coke and a candy for 10 cents. Gas station close by was
open from 6 am to 10pm. Gas was 25 cents a gallon. Kerosene was
cheaper. We could use glass jugs for a gallon of fuel.

The fish market across the street was opened around 8am.

Late 50's I watched train cars of military Armour passing by, staging
for the Cuban Missile Crises.

... make my last comment 1962

Almost War

Another defeat for the USA.

You have an odd idea of a defeat seeing as how we achieved our stated
goal.

Harry K

micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Later, maybe by 1956, the store started staying open to 6.
There was only one supermarket on the north side. .

Even though my father worked downtown, and we lived in a nice totally
residential area, it was only 1.5 miles. So he usually either walked
to work or took the bus, and he often got a ride home with a friend
while he was waiting for the bus to go home. There were only two
streets that went north from downtown, and one was really northwest
and went from industrial almost straight to farmland.

So my mother usallly had the car and she could go shopping between 9
and 3 (I got home from school at 3:35.) but women who worked or whose
husband took the car must have had a problem.


Anyone remember?

I remember them being open from 9 AM into early evening including weekends.
A&P at least.

Where were you in the 50's?

The Navy and college (IU).

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

Micky,

I lived in Boston at that time. The local supermarket, Elm Farms, opened
at 8:00 or 8:30 and closed at 19:00, I think. In the 60s the closing time
was 21:00. That was Mon through Sat.. Only small "convenience" stores were
open on Sun.

Dave M.

micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Later, maybe by 1956, the store started staying open to 6.
There was only one supermarket on the north side. .

Even though my father worked downtown, and we lived in a nice totally
residential area, it was only 1.5 miles. So he usually either walked
to work or took the bus, and he often got a ride home with a friend
while he was waiting for the bus to go home. There were only two
streets that went north from downtown, and one was really northwest
and went from industrial almost straight to farmland.

So my mother usallly had the car and she could go shopping between 9
and 3 (I got home from school at 3:35.) but women who worked or whose
husband took the car must have had a problem.

Anyone remember? Where were you in the 50's?

Here the grocery stores were open 9 to 5 during the week, and Saturday
morning. Bakeries and butchers had the same hours. Dairy products, and
ice, if you still had an icebox, were delivered to your home during the
week. To this day I won't take my wife to the market on Saturdays,
because all the really old coots still shop then, slowly. Banks had
even worse hours for the consumer. The unions really fought to keep
those hours; I never understood why, as they would have gained more
members if the stores were open longer.

In the middle sixties we moved to Illinois and it was wonderful finding
you could shop in the evening.

On Nov 25, 2:17*pm, Notat Home wrote:
micky wrote:
OT * *As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Later, maybe by 1956, *the store started staying open to 6.
There was only one supermarket on the north side. *.

Even though my father worked downtown, and we lived in *a nice totally
residential area, it was only 1.5 miles. *So he *usually either walked
to work or took the bus, and he often got a ride home with a friend
while he was waiting for the bus to go home. * There were only two
streets that went north from downtown, and one was really northwest
and went from industrial almost straight to farmland.

So my mother usallly had the car and she could go shopping between 9
and 3 (I got home from school at 3:35.) but women who worked or whose
husband took the car must have had a problem.

Anyone remember? * *Where were you in the 50's?

Here the grocery stores were open 9 to 5 during the week, and Saturday
morning. *Bakeries and butchers had the same hours. *Dairy products, and
ice, if you still had an icebox, were delivered to your home during the
week. *To this day I won't take my wife to the market on Saturdays,
because all the really old coots still shop then, slowly. *Banks had
even worse hours for the consumer. *The unions really fought to keep
those hours; I never understood why, as they would have gained more
members if the stores were open longer.

In the middle sixties we moved to Illinois and it was wonderful finding
you could shop in the evening.

chicago had union rules for the meat department, i am not certain of
the rules just visiting as a kid, but in the evening when the butchers
werent there the fresh meats were covered and locked securely you
couldnt buy meat.. this was true up till the early 70s when i got my
drivers license and helped drive me and my mom to chicago from
pittsburgh. i was 16...

Notat Home wrote:

Here the grocery stores were open 9 to 5 during the week, and Saturday
morning. Bakeries and butchers had the same hours. Dairy products, and
ice, if you still had an icebox, were delivered to your home during the
week. To this day I won't take my wife to the market on Saturdays,
because all the really old coots still shop then, slowly. Banks had
even worse hours for the consumer. The unions really fought to keep
those hours; I never understood why, as they would have gained more
members if the stores were open longer.

In the middle sixties we moved to Illinois and it was wonderful finding
you could shop in the evening.

For a non USAsian POV, I grew up in England in the 70's. Sounds pretty
similar.

Shops 9-ish to 5pm or 5:30pm in the week. Saturdays maybe 9:30 or 10am to
4-4:40pm.

Sunday everything was closed except newsagents (papershops) and off-licenses
(liquor stores). They closed at noon.

Wednesday afternoon - everything closed for 1/2 day.

Banks were dire - 10am to 3:30pm IIRC.
--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://www.dionic.net/tim/

"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it."

On 11/25/2012 10:40 AM, The Daring Dufas wrote:
On 11/25/2012 9:27 AM, George wrote:
On 11/25/2012 9:22 AM, The Daring Dufas wrote:
On 11/25/2012 7:42 AM, HeyBub wrote:
micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Back in the day, when my state had a "Blue Law," stores could be
open on
either Saturday or Sunday - pick one.

The demise of the silly Blue Laws was encouraged by one super-store
chain's
novel solution: A new company was organized. Named "SUNDAYCO" and was a
wholly-owned subsidary of this city-wide chain.

Each Saturday night, it bought the entire physical plant and existing
merchandise from the chain for "One dollar and other good and valuable
considerations," ran the enterprises for 24 hours, then sold their
holdings
back to the parent company Sunday night.

Our betters who ran the state government were none to pleased with this
affront. Even a couple of lawsuits were filed.

As I recall, the stores were full to overflowing every Sunday.



Lawmakers still don't get it after all these years. Any capitalist
enterprise is going to find a way around any stupid law the lawmakers
can come up with. Like what's happening with Abomination Care right now.
O_o

TDD

It is hilarious though how the "conservative family value" stuff such as
spending time with your family doesn't align with the conservative
"absolutely anything is OK as long as someone is making money" mantra.
Can't have it both ways.

Larry Flint is big on family values? Wow, you sure have a distorted view
of just who a capitalist is. O_o

TDD

You made my point. All we here is "family values" from the "anything for
a buck" folks.

On 11/26/2012 8:41 AM, George wrote:
On 11/25/2012 10:40 AM, The Daring Dufas wrote:
On 11/25/2012 9:27 AM, George wrote:
On 11/25/2012 9:22 AM, The Daring Dufas wrote:
On 11/25/2012 7:42 AM, HeyBub wrote:
micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to
renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Back in the day, when my state had a "Blue Law," stores could be
open on
either Saturday or Sunday - pick one.

The demise of the silly Blue Laws was encouraged by one super-store
chain's
novel solution: A new company was organized. Named "SUNDAYCO" and
was a
wholly-owned subsidary of this city-wide chain.

Each Saturday night, it bought the entire physical plant and existing
merchandise from the chain for "One dollar and other good and valuable
considerations," ran the enterprises for 24 hours, then sold their
holdings
back to the parent company Sunday night.

Our betters who ran the state government were none to pleased with
this
affront. Even a couple of lawsuits were filed.

As I recall, the stores were full to overflowing every Sunday.



Lawmakers still don't get it after all these years. Any capitalist
enterprise is going to find a way around any stupid law the lawmakers
can come up with. Like what's happening with Abomination Care right
now.
O_o

TDD

It is hilarious though how the "conservative family value" stuff such as
spending time with your family doesn't align with the conservative
"absolutely anything is OK as long as someone is making money" mantra.
Can't have it both ways.

Larry Flint is big on family values? Wow, you sure have a distorted view
of just who a capitalist is. O_o

TDD

You made my point. All we here is "family values" from the "anything for
a buck" folks.

Your point is more than a little bent. You seem to believe that only
people with conservative, family values are capitalists? I found it to
be amazing how BeeHO sucked up to the very rich capitalists while
bashing them at the same time. Liberalism is a mental disease which
folks of that ilk demonstrate over and over again. O_o

TDD

George wrote:

It is hilarious though how the "conservative family value" stuff such
as spending time with your family doesn't align with the conservative
"absolutely anything is OK as long as someone is making money" mantra.
Can't have it both ways.

Sure you can! Very many small businesses (bodegas, cleaners, Chinese
take-out, auto repair, even farms), are family owned and run businesses.

It's refreshing to see a 9-year old washing and detailing my truck, under
his dad's supervision of course.

On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 08:34:57 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 11/24/2012 3:01 PM, micky wrote:
...


Anyone remember? Where were you in the 50's?

In _early_ 50s, I was just beginning grade school (in town because
mother insisted we go there instead of the one-room school where were
intended to go up at Brown's corner a mile-and-a-half away).

Two nights ago, I was listing to Sunday night old time radio, to an
episode of Father Knows Best from the early 50's, and they were all
shopping and got into predicaments, and were ready to shop some more
when someone said the department store closed at 5.

So, I don't really recall store hours at the time altho I'm aware enough
to know there were still the blue laws and very little other than
service businesses were open at all on Sunday. I'm certain the grocery
stores were open on Saturday; I'm guess their routine closing hours were
probably about 6PM. There were nothing that would qualify as a
"supermarket" although there was a Safeway and one or two stores of a
local/regional chain that were of similar size and content. I say "or"
because while I recall when the new south store was built (about 10
years later) I can't now recall whether there was another one or not--I
have things I recollect that make me think both ways but the specifics
just aren't there to be certain and I'm not up to looking for confirming
data one way or the other...

This was a fairly small (15K) SW KS farm community w/ newly arriving
oil/natural gas exploration and some small manufacturing for Cessna and
Beech aircraft. It had more retail and services by far than the local
population alone would suggest being the largest (by far) town for an
area of roughly 80 mile radius to the east, south and west and 30-40 mi
to the north. The estimated retail service population was probably
about 50-60k at the time if included that service area...

Today the population of the town has almost doubled and it still serves
as a regional center but the demographics and work other than farm has
shifted radically. Amazingly there were crowds at the W-M supercenter
to the extent the fire marshall locked them down to letting others in
only as a group left...can't imagine what could _possibly_ be worth the
hassle.

Great story.

On 11/24/2012 1:01 PM, micky wrote:
OT As Black Friday creeps forward to Wednesday, I'm trying to renew
my recolletction of what days and hours supermarkets were open in the
early 50's.

I lived in Western Pa. near Youngstown, Ohio, in a city of 50,000
people, and my earliest recollection is that it was open from 9AM to
5PM, M-F, not on Sunday, and I can't remember about Saturday.

What about Saturday?

Later, maybe by 1956, the store started staying open to 6.
There was only one supermarket on the north side. .

The big change in shopping hours came in the 1960's as malls
proliferated. Stores that were open until 9 p.m. on weekdays, what a
concept. Since the early malls often had supermarkets, the supermarkets
also stayed open until 9 p.m.. The mall near me stayed open until 5 p.m.
on Saturday. I think that it was not open on Sunday when it first opened.

Publix refused to open on Sunday for decades. The founder was very
Christian and thought that people should be in church. On the door of
the store there was a sign "Closed Sunday, See You in Church."

I like that. With a little planning, people can buy their groceries on some
other day of the week, and not have to break the Sunday sabbath.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"SMS" wrote in message
...

The big change in shopping hours came in the 1960's as malls
proliferated. Stores that were open until 9 p.m. on weekdays, what a
concept. Since the early malls often had supermarkets, the supermarkets
also stayed open until 9 p.m.. The mall near me stayed open until 5 p.m.
on Saturday. I think that it was not open on Sunday when it first opened.

Publix refused to open on Sunday for decades. The founder was very
Christian and thought that people should be in church. On the door of
the store there was a sign "Closed Sunday, See You in Church."

On 11/28/2012 1:14 AM, micky wrote:
On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 08:34:57 -0600, wrote:
....

This was a fairly small (15K) SW KS farm community w/ newly
arriving oil/natural gas exploration and some small manufacturing
for Cessna and Beech aircraft. It had more retail and services by
far than the local population alone would suggest being the largest
(by far) town for an area of roughly 80 mile radius to the east,
south and west and 30-40 mi to the north. The estimated retail
service population was probably about 50-60k at the time if
included that service area...

Today the population of the town has almost doubled and it still
serves as a regional center but the demographics and work other
than farm has shifted radically. Amazingly there were crowds at
the W-M supercenter to the extent the fire marshall locked them
down to letting others in only as a group left...can't imagine what
could _possibly_ be worth the hassle.

Great story.

Another W-M story of the regional shopping ilk--shortly after returned
to the family farm (been over 10 yr now; seems amazing) I went to the
W-M which is something I try to avoid at almost all costs on a Saturday
afternoon, particularly, but---

Was following a young woman w/ her daughter of roughly 9-10 I'd guess.
When got into the store and passing the electronics section on the left
and the general merchandise including a bunch of kids toys like bikes,
etc., on the right, the little girl twirled around on her toes w/ her
arms spread, looked around and said "Mom, I don't think we're in [small
TX panhandle town] anymore!!!"



(+) Part of what makes it a cute story to me is that one of the local
attractions is "Dorothy's House" which is a Wizard of Oz touristy thing.
So the play off it was undoubtedly deliberate; it is an annual
destination for school and other young groups field trips all over the area.

--

On Wed, 28 Nov 2012 08:25:07 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

I like that. With a little planning, people can buy their groceries on some
other day of the week, and not have to break the Sunday sabbath.

That works when both adults (if there are two) in the family don't.
Frankly, stores that aren't open on Sundays **** me off. They're less
likely to get my business during the week, too. Their decision,
though.

On 11/28/2012 7:25 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I like that. With a little planning, people can buy their groceries on some
other day of the week, and not have to break the Sunday sabbath.
....

Well, notwithstanding that Sunday isn't _necessarily_ the sabbath day,
of course...

--

On 11/28/2012 5:25 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I like that. With a little planning, people can buy their groceries on some
other day of the week, and not have to break the Sunday sabbath.

Assuming they've adopted the Christian sabbath. In the area where I
lived probably 30% of the population was not Christian. So they shopped
at the competition. Sunday and other days.

Fortunately that nonsense is mostly over, except perhaps for Chick-Fil-A.

On Wed, 28 Nov 2012 10:08:13 -0800, sms
wrote:

On 11/28/2012 5:25 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I like that. With a little planning, people can buy their groceries on some
other day of the week, and not have to break the Sunday sabbath.

Assuming they've adopted the Christian sabbath. In the area where I
lived probably 30% of the population was not Christian. So they shopped
at the competition. Sunday and other days.

Fortunately that nonsense is mostly over, except perhaps for Chick-Fil-A.

Exactly. For those whose sabbath is another day, forcing stores to
close on Sunday not only means those people can't shop on the weekend,
but that they can't open their own stores at all on the weekend
either.

People who want to observe a sabbath day a certain way can choose not
to shop on that day, not to open their store that day, or not to work
for a store that does. They shouldn't be allowed to force everyone
else to conform to their particular schedule.

Josh

David L. Martel wrote:
Micky,

I lived in Boston at that time. The local supermarket, Elm Farms, opened
at 8:00 or 8:30 and closed at 19:00, I think. In the 60s the closing time
was 21:00. That was Mon through Sat.. Only small "convenience" stores were
open on Sun.

Dave M.



IIRC (also in the Boston suburbs) back in the 50s when the blue laws
kept most stores closed on Sundays there was a suburban department store
owned by Jews which was closed on Saturdays and open on Sundays.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

On 11/28/2012 12:15 PM, Josh wrote:
On Wed, 28 Nov 2012 10:08:13 -0800, sms
wrote:

On 11/28/2012 5:25 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I like that. With a little planning, people can buy their groceries on some
other day of the week, and not have to break the Sunday sabbath.

Assuming they've adopted the Christian sabbath. In the area where I
lived probably 30% of the population was not Christian. So they shopped
at the competition. Sunday and other days.

Fortunately that nonsense is mostly over, except perhaps for Chick-Fil-A.

Exactly. For those whose sabbath is another day, forcing stores to
close on Sunday not only means those people can't shop on the weekend,
but that they can't open their own stores at all on the weekend
either.

People who want to observe a sabbath day a certain way can choose not
to shop on that day, not to open their store that day, or not to work
for a store that does. They shouldn't be allowed to force everyone
else to conform to their particular schedule.

Josh


I can't wait for Sharia law to kick in. ^_^

TDD

On Wed, 28 Nov 2012 07:35:17 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 11/28/2012 1:14 AM, micky wrote:
On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 08:34:57 -0600, wrote:
...

This was a fairly small (15K) SW KS farm community w/ newly
arriving oil/natural gas exploration and some small manufacturing
for Cessna and Beech aircraft. It had more retail and services by
far than the local population alone would suggest being the largest
(by far) town for an area of roughly 80 mile radius to the east,
south and west and 30-40 mi to the north. The estimated retail
service population was probably about 50-60k at the time if
included that service area...

Today the population of the town has almost doubled and it still
serves as a regional center but the demographics and work other
than farm has shifted radically. Amazingly there were crowds at
the W-M supercenter to the extent the fire marshall locked them
down to letting others in only as a group left...can't imagine what
could _possibly_ be worth the hassle.

Great story.

Another W-M story of the regional shopping ilk--shortly after returned
to the family farm (been over 10 yr now; seems amazing) I went to the
W-M which is something I try to avoid at almost all costs on a Saturday
afternoon, particularly, but---

Was following a young woman w/ her daughter of roughly 9-10 I'd guess.
When got into the store and passing the electronics section on the left
and the general merchandise including a bunch of kids toys like bikes,
etc., on the right, the little girl twirled around on her toes w/ her
arms spread, looked around and said "Mom, I don't think we're in [small
TX panhandle town] anymore!!!"



(+) Part of what makes it a cute story to me is that one of the local
attractions is "Dorothy's House" which is a Wizard of Oz touristy thing.
So the play off it was undoubtedly deliberate; it is an annual
destination for school and other young groups field trips all over the area.

A clever little girl.