Vintage Grocery Stores
Instructions: Take a stroll down the aisles of memory and recall the grocery stores and shopping habits of yesteryear!
- 1.
Which grocery store chain introduced the first self-service shopping concept in 1916, allowing customers to select their own items?
AKrogerBA&PCSafewayDPiggly Wiggly - 2.
What did A&P stand for, the grocery chain that was once the largest retailer in the world?
AAmerican & PacificBAmerican & ProvisionsCAtlantic & PacificDAllied & Pacific - 3.
What collectible items did many grocery stores give to customers with their purchases in the 1950s and 1960s, which could be redeemed for household goods?
AS&H Green StampsBGold tokensCStore creditsDCoupons - 4.
Before self-service, what did grocery store clerks do when a customer came in with a shopping list?
AGave them a numbered ticketBAssigned them a shopping cartCGathered all the items for themDDirected them to each aisle - 5.
Which iconic grocery store feature was introduced by Sylvan Goldman in 1937 at his Humpty Dumpty stores in Oklahoma City?
APrice scannerBShopping cartCCheckout conveyor beltDRefrigerated display case - 6.
What was the name of the small, neighborhood grocery stores common in the 1940s and 1950s, often run by a single family?
AConvenience storesBCorner stores or mom-and-pop shopsCMini-martsDGeneral stores - 7.
Which grocery store chain was famous for its private-label products including 'Ann Page' brand foods?
ASafewayBA&PCKrogerDWinn-Dixie - 8.
What was typically offered at the deli counter of many 1960s grocery stores, sliced to order?
ASushi and prepared saladsBOrganic produceCBologna, salami, and American cheeseDArtisan breads - 9.
What was the name of the Kroger-owned supermarket chain popular in the Southern United States known for its 'Big K' brand?
ABig StarBKrogerCFood LionDPiggly Wiggly - 10.
In the 1950s, what new section was added to many grocery stores that was considered a novelty for shoppers?
AHealth food sectionBFrozen food aisleCBakery sectionDPet food aisle - 11.
What did grocery store baggers commonly ask customers in the 1960s and 1970s?
APaper or plastic?BCash or charge?CDo you need help?DDid you find everything? - 12.
Which popular grocery store chain was known for its 'Top Value Stamps' loyalty program in the 1960s?
AKrogerBFood FairCSafewayDA&P - 13.
What was a 'Blue Light Special,' the famous in-store promotion technique used in the 1960s through 1980s?
AA Walmart promotionBA Kmart flash sale with a blue flashing lightCA Sears clearance eventDA grocery store coupon day - 14.
Which early supermarket innovation allowed stores to mark prices directly on products starting in the 1970s?
AChalk boardsBUPC barcodesCPrice stickersDShelf tags - 15.
What treat did many grocery store butchers give to children who came shopping with their parents?
AA piece of candyBA slice of bologna or a hot dogCA cookieDA small toy
Answer Key
Piggly Wiggly, founded by Clarence Saunders in Memphis, Tennessee in 1916, was the first self-service grocery store, revolutionizing the way Americans shopped for food.
A&P stood for the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company. Founded in 1859, it was the largest grocery chain in America for much of the 20th century.
S&H Green Stamps were given out by grocery stores and gas stations from the 1930s through the 1980s. Customers collected them in booklets and redeemed them for merchandise.
Before self-service stores, customers handed their shopping list to a clerk who would gather all the items from behind counters and shelves. This was the standard until the 1930s-1940s.
Sylvan Goldman invented the shopping cart in 1937 to help customers carry more groceries. Initially, shoppers resisted using them until Goldman hired models to push them around the store.
Corner stores or mom-and-pop shops were the backbone of neighborhood grocery shopping before supermarkets dominated. The shopkeeper often knew every customer by name.
A&P created the Ann Page brand as a private-label line for baked goods, preserves, and other food products. It was one of the earliest and most successful store brands.
The deli counter in 1960s grocery stores commonly offered cold cuts like bologna, salami, ham, and cheeses like American and Swiss, all sliced fresh to order.
Kroger used the Big K brand for its store-brand sodas and other products. Kroger has been one of America's largest grocery retailers since the early 20th century.
The frozen food aisle expanded dramatically in the 1950s as home freezers became more common and companies like Birds Eye, Swanson, and others offered an increasing variety of frozen products.
While plastic bags were introduced in the late 1970s, the question 'Paper or plastic?' became a hallmark of the American grocery shopping experience by the early 1980s. Before that, paper was the only option.
Kroger was a major participant in the Top Value Stamps program, which competed with S&H Green Stamps as a customer loyalty reward in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Blue Light Special was a Kmart promotion where a blue flashing light would appear in an aisle signaling a temporary price reduction. It ran from 1965 through the early 1990s.
The UPC barcode was first scanned on a pack of Wrigley's gum at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio on June 26, 1974, revolutionizing grocery checkout.
It was a cherished tradition for butchers at the meat counter to offer children a free slice of bologna or a hot dog while their parents shopped. Many kids looked forward to this treat.