In the soda aisle, there were these curled-up things with soda logos on them.
They could be uncurled, if you were a curious boy like myself. But, what purpose did they serve? They seemed to have disappeared once we switched to 2-L bottles instead of a 6-pack of bottles (with a 5 cent deposit, each!)
I should mention these “things” were attached to the edge of the shelves - like where the price tags are put today. They were maybe 6-8" long. They served no purpose whatsoever, IMHO! They were put there with the sole purpose of bugging me! - Jinx
Nowadays we have 12 packs in the shape of perfect building blocks. Back then, 6 packs were nice and flat on the bottom, but a bit wobbly on the top. The flat sheets of plastic would be stretched over the top of a row, and the next row would be stacked on top of it. Since the sheet liked to curl up, it would roll back to expose the lower row as packages were removed.
That’s the best I can describe it. I am sure 20-somethings are now saying, “Huh”.
I remember curled up plastic thingies at the back of the soft drinks displays. They were uncurled underneath each layer of 6-packs. They stabilized the stack, so that you didn’t have a whole vertical row fall on you. Now, bottles won’t stack as well, so everything’s on its own shelf.
If I remember correctly, in 1975 (at least around here) all the deposit bottles came in 8 packs. I remember what a pain in the arse it was to haul them things home and then, the empties, back to the store again. But soda in glass bottles tasted oh so good!
I hate soda pop, far too sweet for me in my old age (43 ) but when I find root beer or coke in those small glass bottles, I’ll bring 'em home for my family. Aaahhh.
In Ohio (I don’t know if any grocery stores still do this any where, anymore), they used to cart your groceries out the to curb and give you a number. You’d go get your car and ride around to the curb and they’d load 'em up for you. I guess now they will walk you out to the parking lot. And now that I live in Florida, it doesn’t make a whit of difference. But when there was six inches of snow on the ground and the temp was 25 degrees… that sure was a nice service.
What else don’t they do anymore in grocery stores?
First of all, the stores needed more manpower in the old days to change prices on every single item in the store, every time there was a change in price. This added to labor costs, and made things more expensive.
It also made for longer waits at checkout aisles, as every item had to be entered by hand. This process was also more prone to error.
The bad old days, if you ask me. My mom worked through high school as a supermarker checker. She thought it was miserable work.
Mr. Moto, I am glad! If my post came across as a “boo-hiss for technology”, I certainly didn’t mean for it to! I worked in a discount dept. store (sort of a pre-cursor of Wal-Mart) in the late 70s/early 80s. I did my share of actually using the plastic pricing guns to tag things, as well as the ringing up of such things. The scan method is much preferrable; it also helps to lower costs by reducing the chances for price-switching, which is a form of shoplifting.
Yes… with the advent of the laser scanner, you don’t hear, “Price check!” being yelled out any more. Also, the candy displays at most supermarkets seem to be smaller today than they did 25 years ago… but maybe that’s must me.
Likewise here. I’m 34 and you guys seem to be calmly discussing ostrich goggles and spider pants. Could we get a picture or something please so I can join your collective delusion?
Heard it last week, at Giant Eagle. It was the price check from Hell, too, on some obscure brand of extra extra extra extra virgin olive oil from Italy, with no UPC code. After five minutes of shouting “PRICE CHECK!”, a “special” boy ran up, took the olive oil, and disappeared. About five minutes later, a huge line forming behind this woman who absolutely, positively had to have her precious imported yuppie olive oil,
the “special” boy returned.
“Nuy caaant fuiind iit!”
Someone else had to go off to do the price check. This woman took about 15 minutes to check out.
) but when I find root beer or coke in those small glass bottles, I’ll bring 'em home for my family. Aaahhh.
