Department stores and our childhoods

[robm]

Hi everyone, I was given the idea of the thread from Dascot who mentioned he used to walk around Allders looking at the washers.

I wonder, like me, how many of you used to walk around department/electrical stores all the time looking at the latest machines and where you used to go?

My memories are like this. When I was very small I used to get my mother to look around the machines in Pratts in Streatham (south London). To my amazment they had a whole display washing, I will never forget that. In the early 80s you used to get a lot more individual electrical shops selling machines on the street with hand written price tags. We also had shops like Rumbelows and in later years Seeboard, which had a large range. There were also loads of second hand washer shops, which now seem to have gone.

One unfortunate thing about the internet is that it was removed the electrical store except for the biggies on the outskirts of town like, Curry's and Comet. Fortunately, Allders (in Croydon, South London) still has a large washer floor. What would I do without it!

So what are your memories, both in the UK and elsewhere?

Rob

 

[tolivac]

I would have to go with Sears--when I was little loved to explore the appliance dept-they had glass front dishwashers and washers,then to tthe tool dept-loved looking over the Craftsman power tools-then would have to be the sports dept-they used to sell guns in those early days.Sometimes didn't have time to make my "rounds" the parents would call me -it was time to go home.Sometimes I would have to carry a HUGE box of Sears laundry deternet to the car.

 

[newwave1]

My mother and grandmother used to push me around in my pushchair around the co-op everytime we were intown! My grandma and Mum collected brochures for me. I particularly remember lookin at Hoover and Electrolux machines,Lots of Hotpoints. I loved it. My grandma was forever pretendin she was lookin for a new machine, while she had a bendix at home that went on forever lol!

I Used to walk around Comet where i now work, and currys on weekends when we were on the retail park...i'd never let us go to "Texas" the DIY store without a visit to either comet or currys lol.

As i grew up i used to go in on my own and talk to the staff for hours while my mother shopped for groceries. This eventually led to me gettin the chance to visit the hotpoint factory in late 97! which was aweeeeeeeeeeesome!

Darren

 

[lavamat_jon]

Same sorta thing with me... my grandparents used to take me round all the appliance stores in Lincoln - The Co Op Moorland Centre (which being down the road from me I still frequently visit), Comet, Curry's, Norweb when that was about, Scottish Electricity, East Midlands Electricity (where River Island is now), the HUGE Co-Op department store that used to be on Silver Street in the city centre (toys and washers on the same floor... every little washerboy's dream), unfortunately that is now a set of trendy bars and restaurants - a shame as the huge Co Op was a great store - and of course Allders when they sold appliances for a while. I remember Binns did too for a short while but soon stopped again.

Darren - I was the same with mum and dad when we went to Texas DIY... Curry's had to be visited. Also Stage 2 sometimes, when they sold washers in the front part of the shop! (Texas DIY always brings up memories... we often used to have dinner there in that random little cafe they had in the middle of the store!).

When I think back about it, I was very lucky really to have such supportive grandparents and parents who took me round these shops. My grandparents especially - they always had the guts to explain themselves about me too and it was nice because the people working in the shop would get me brochures and that from behind the scenes.

Jon

 

[sudsman]

I loved to go to

Sears and Monkey Wards. Western auto and White Auto were always fun too. We also had a Westinghouse dealer Parker Electric that always had Westinghouse slatfronts and Space Mates and would love to show them to me and make them run ..

 

[glamwales]

Likewise

I have fond memories going around the Co operative and Electricity Board shop in my home town of Merthyr Tydfil, How come it seems all our grandmothers took us? LOL

I must have had my gran in these shops every time we went to town. I always remember looking at a Hotpoint top loader, but being too scared to lift the lid in case I broke it. This must have been between 86 - 89, a wonderful time for appliances!!!! And of course the sales literature!!!! Jesus if only we had kept them, we could be millionaires.

Thankfully, as a kid I didn’t care what other people thought. Sadly that changed in my teens - how many of us have rushed through the appliance section worried what people would think?

At 15 (1997), I bought my first dishwasher. I think this was because as a child I always liked the Hoover ‘Crystaljet’ models in the co op. Also when I was 12, both my friends were given free Hoover appliances on a customer trial basis because their fathers worked in Hoovers. 2 appliances were offered providing feedback forms were filled in by the ‘Mrs.’ . . I felt sooo left out !!

I soon made up for it …..

 

[lavamat_jon]

Crystaljet dishwashers...

We had a 1989 model to "match" our 1982 A3110... fond memories! Ours was the one with 7 cycle buttons and a separate off button which popped the cycle button selected out - and on the right side there was loads of lights... pre-rinse, prewash, wash, rinses, rinse aid, dry, and end. and of course the rinse aid and salt refill lights. Gotta love all the clicking too - more clicking than a Logic! If I remember rightly it used to do a bout 3 or 4 rinses too before the final rinse... happy days!!!!

Jon

 

[mixfinder]

The Bon Marche

The Bon, as it became known, sold to Federated stores and is now Macy's. 50 years ago, it was a big deal to drive 38 miles to Yakima, the closest thing we had to a city. Mom and Granma would wear hats and cloves and the five of kids would wear Sunday clothes.
The store was 3 stories high and had an elevator and an escalator. We ran our poor mom to death by racing at breakneck speed up and down the escalator and elevator to see who would win. Then we would run against the escalator going the wrong way. Sooner or later some stern mom or a store clerk would let us have "what for" and we'd slow down.
The Bon had a huge housewares department and also sold appliances, Maytag, Frigidaire and Whirlpool.
The Bon, became Macy's a year ago and in Seattle the improvements in service are legendary.
Kelly

 

[seamusuk]

FAO Neil/Glamwales

And for anyone else who hasnt seen it

Click on the link below and enjoy- the 1st part will be the most interesting for washer ppls . Just look at all the 3224 Keymatics ;-)

Seamus

Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

www.archive.org

 

[glamwales]

Thanks

How nice

 

[jasonl]

One word....

SEARS!

All those belt-drive Kenmores, the DAA, the electronic Lady K and then the Silvertone stereos and TVs, and of course, the TOYS!

 

[cuffs054]

Growing up in St. Pete, Fl. "THE" place to shop was Maas Brothers. The main store down town had the appliances in the lower level (think basement). I used to go with my Aunt, whose husband was the phamacist there. I would go and touch and gush over all the appliances. They were big on Frigidaire. Plus they had the kewlest Christmas displays!

 

[nurdlinger]

Now in Detroit...

there were Sears, Wards, Crowleys, Federals, like everywhere else but THE department store was J.L. Hudson's downtown 12-story emporium. (You may remember seeing it exploded a few years back) Before the advent of the suburban shopping centers, it was the place we went to buy school clothers in the fall, and for other occasions the reason for which I no longer remember. They had elevators with uniformed operators, which I found fascinating because by the mid fifties self-service elevators seemed ubiquitous. Mostly I remember waiting for one or another of my parents to find what they were looking for and conclude their transaction. I was always hot, when we went there in the winter I had to wear my coat or jacket all the while "so I didn't lose it". I often had a headache during these times. They had some sort of signaling system based on a gong, and standing around listening to BONG-BONG-BONG-BONG was torture. Once I was a little older I tried to observe what was going on when the gong sounded, but never did discern a pattern. They also had these wooden boxes hanging from the ceiling with small colored glass squares on the sides. These were different colors, and were obviously part of some other system I did not figure out. They had the pneumatic tube system running all over as well, and it was enjoyable to stand near one of the stations listening for the whoosh/wump as the carrier arrived. All in all, not remembered as a good time. StandThere--TooHot--Headache--BONGBONGBONGBONG.

 

[oxydolfan1]

Sears on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.

 

[toggleswitch]

Macy's , the world's largest closet.

Sears on Northern Boulevard in Flushing, Queens (NYC)[ok ok stop snickering that is its truee name]. and it WAS IIRC named to honor John Crapper, the inventor of the flush toilet. HUGE improvement in sanitation...

Anyhoo.. Sears was fun for appliances. Yiayia (granny) used to shop in the BIG Macy's by Herald Square 34th Street in Manhattan. I used to remember it fondly and their appliance dept, before the department eliminated.

http://www.nyctourist.com/macys1.htm

 

[toggleswitch]

one more linky.

www.glasssteelandstone.com

www.glasssteelandstone.com

 

[sudsdudeshane]

Growing up on NY's Long Island, I remember going to Woolco with my grandmother. Also, I have fond memories of TSS-Times Square Stores,Korvettes, A&S and Caldor. TSS had the best pretzels..

Does anyone remember Rickels? Pergament? How about the great former grocery store chains such as..Hills,Bohacks,Finast??

 

[toggleswitch]

yes yes yes and YES!

 

[johnb300m]

Chicago - State Street, that great street

Marshall Field's ... accept no substitutes!
I used to work for them before they were raped by Macy's.
Now that they're gone...Chicago's department store aura is gone.