It’s something we all need to do on at least a weekly basis, and most of us consider it a chore: grocery shopping. In the new millennium, most of us don’t think twice about that weekly trip to the supermarket, unless of course we do our grocery shopping online, but have you ever stopped to ponder how your grandparents shopped for the essentials back in their day?
A century ago, shoppers either went directly to a farmer, an open-air market, a dry goods store, or a produce seller, handed them their shopping list, and waited. The server behind the counter would then fill the order and pack it before handing it back over to the shopper and taking payment. Grocery stores during this era were generally very small, “corner store” type establishments; butchers, dry goods, bakeries, greengrocers, etc were all completely separate entities at this time.
Self-service shopping, where shoppers were actually allowed to touch the merchandise before payment was made, was born in 1916, with the “Piggly Wiggly” stores established in Memphis, USA. These self-service stores sold only dry goods and were called “groceterias”, as they resembled cafeterias in their style. Some shoppers found this new concept very intimidating.
Chain stores became popular from the 1920s. Most were small and had counter service; some offered delivery to homes and allowed charge accounts. Meat and fresh produce were still housed in separate stores.
The supermarket evolved in the 1930s and 1940s. These stocked all manner of produce; some were even “drive-through”! By the 1950s, supermarkets were commonplace and were spreading from city centres to the suburbs. Stores were bright and vibrant, and shoppers loved them. Everything was self-serve, and unlike the generation before, shoppers preferred it this way.
Between the 1970s and 1990s, warehouse-style mega markets became more commonplace. Merchandise was not limited to groceries, and everything from electrical goods to hardware and clothing became available under one roof.
The new millennium has ushered in the age of ultimate convenience. Shoppers can go to the supermarket, or choose to buy groceries online. With just a computer and an internet connection, the world is at one’s fingertips – and a big grocery shop can be completed quickly from anywhere and be delivered in a matter of hours.
What could possibly be next?
Our grandparents’ minds would have boggled at the very concept of being able to buy groceries online! Yet if you think about it, in a funny way, things have come full circle: to do your grocery shopping online, you submit your order; it gets filled by another, and then handed back to you. Just like in the old days...
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