The DU Lounge
In reply to the discussion: Stores that were and are no more. Mine are Kaufmann's, Hornes. Gimbels. Kroger,. What once popular stores [View all]GenThePerservering
(1,983 posts)in the Pac NW - taking over various grocery stores but keeping the original name.
As a kid I recall Horn & Hardart Automat in Philadelphia - they had good cheesecake and I would put in my 50 cents or whatever, open the little door and get my cheesecake out. I tried to poke my head into the receptcle to see what went on " behind the scenes" and caught a glimpse of a food prep area with people running around filling all of the vending.
Korvettes
Lit Brothers
Here in the Pac NW where I've lived most of my life:
Bon Marche (taken over by Federated/Macy's, which basically ran most of their stores into the ground through mis-management, which is why they were such a failure)
I. Magnin (their money handling was done through a pneumatic tube system into a central counting room - you'd pay for your (very expensive) item and the checker would put the payment and receipt into a tube, insert it into the tube system and voooop! down it would go, then a moment later it would come shooting out again with the change) - I still wear a summer top I bought there in the mid-80s - summers here are short but it was still great quality.
Woolworth's - where I purchased most of my clothing, etc., and which had the famous "landlady shoes". My first bird came from there, too.
Kresge's - 25 cent hot dogs, creaky wooden, floors funky basement.
Ernst Hardware - before Seattle became yuppified, they had one right downtown. They may still be around somewhere but they all closed in my area.
Thom McAnn shoes
Jay Jacobs, which started right here in Seattle
ETA: Back to Philly - the 12 floors of the magnificent Wanamaker's, where everyone met 'at the iggle' - it's a Macy's now, I guess, fortunately still has the great organ which used to peal out at regular times and fill the entire vaulting lobby. But Wanamaker's had all of its own wares, as well as an amazing basement.