My Uncle is closing his shop

[Cybrvanr]

AFter over 50 years in the grocery business, my Uncle and his father are closing their little grocery store in old town Mechanicsville. They are well-known around town for their custom-cut meats and veggies. They also have a unique service of grocery delivery within a 15 mile radius of the shop. These specialities have sustained business for quite some time. My Uncle's father who opened the shop is retiring in July, and unfortunatley, not enough money can be made at the shop for him to support his family and continue the operation without a lot of long, hard hours due to the increasing competition in the area from big-box grocers (who weren't around when they opened years ago)

A walk into that grocery store was like a trip back in time. The ceiling was covered in tin tile, and the floors were checkerboard. They rang up your sale on an old mechanical cash regester and they didn't take credit cards. Of course, the personal service they gave was nothing like what you get in the big stores.

 

[gyrafoam]

Yeah, time finally caught up with a lot of small independents 20 years ago, here around Atlanta.
Years ago there was a wonderful old "Matthew's Supermarket" across from Tuxedo Plaza near my parents' homestead. They had a charge account there and all one had to do was phone in an order, and a short while later a delivery boy would bring the order.

If no one was home they would just leave everything on the kitchen counter, pick up their tip, and zoom. (We never locked doors back in those days---in ATLANTA---imagine!)
That store had all fresh-cut meat and fresh dairy items and a great bakery. Yeah, those were the days----seems like forever ago---a different world.

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

Re: Sorry to hear:

But "OH!!! If Those Walls Could Talk" about anything and everything that went on in the Grocery Store, during the 50-years of Business...

Peace and Cheers for Small Businesses everywhere, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

 

[twinniefan]

sorry to hear this

Cybrvanr,I am very sorry to hear that your uncle is closing his little store,it really is a terrible shame to lose these great little businesses , and unfortunately the situation is no better here in Australia, where many, many businesses such as these have already closed down or will eventually.
The problem I feel started here years ago when the major supermarket chains were allowed to stay open longer and longer and use their market power to marginalise and financially cripple the little guys,indeed it is incredible here when the federal governments both Labor and Liberal claim to support competition in business, and yet the 2 major supermarket chain, Woolworths and Coles Myer control about 85%of the grocery market.
The reality is that there is no real competition just a duopoly with a hanful of small competitiors around i.e. Aldi,I.G.A and Franklins but these chains do not have anywhere near the market power of Coles and Woolies.
Indeed reading your post, made me remember the little general store/hot food takeaway which used to be down the end of our street, it disappeared some years ago as they could not cope with Woolworths around the corner staying open until 10'0clock at night and using alledged "specials" to encourage shoppers to go there.
As a matter of fact here is a list of the small-medium sized food stores which used to operate in Australia(well in my state anyway.),
1.Cut-Price food centres.
2.Permewans food stores.
3.Major food centres(I especially remember this chain fondly, as my late father had several of these sotres as clients in his contract cleaning business.)
4.Jewel food stores(often proven to the cheapest food stores around by independent surveys).
5.Flemings food stores(until they were gobbled up by Woolworths, Mr. Jim Fleming who started this chain then went on to start up the above mentioned Jewel chain.).
6.Food for Less (Woolworths under another name.)
7. Four Square food stores.
8. New World supermarkets(taken over by Coles.)
And of course there was Woolies and Coles , which made the total about 10 chains and now there are 2 giants and maybe 3 smaller players.
Thanks for bringing back memories, and best wishes to your uncle.
Cheers.
Steve.