Supermarkets with seperate departments

[Richard1978]

When I was young I can remember a few supermarkets had a seperate section for products other than the normal items.

Often these were upstairs &/or had carpeting to somehow show that this section was diferent from the rest of the shop.

As toys were to be found in this sections it was a distraction from the hum-drum weekly shop.

Also some chains (particularly the Co-op) seemed to have shops that were mostly like a department store, with the normal groceries relegated to a food court, often in the basement.

Eventually supermarkets started to sell a larger range of goods & these sections were integrated into the non-food sections. Even then there was a bit of novelty of a supermarket having a couple of isles of DIY, complete with a bath on display.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

Interesting as I can't remember supermarkets having this layout, although supermarkets were rare in my area when I was young so perhaps I just never encountered them. I remember co-ops being either food or department stores, apart from the one in Newcastle city centre which had both.

I remember going into a Tesco in Prague a few years ago and was shocked to see that it was basically a department store with a relatively small food department in the basement. Nothing like our Tescos! Also they had a nearly a whole isle dedicated to wafer biscuits. They love 'em over there. I was perturbed as I was hunting for chocolate.

[Richard1978]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

Stockport was a little slow at getting a big supermarket near the centre. There was a small Tesco which had one of these departments upstairs. I mostly remember it had things like children's clothes, toys (my main source of interest) & kitchenware.

Years later the upstairs was closed off & the rest of the looking run down (not sure if it was still a Tesco by them), now it's a Sports Direct.

Eventually Stockport got Sainsbury's & Asda at almost the same time. The Asda was one of the first Supermarkets I remember selling a fairly wide selection of electrial items.

Occasionally we would shop at the Fine Fare in Hyde, which was almost a hypermarket, & had the above mentioned bath on disply in the diy section.

Later one part of it was taken up by a Do It All, & the main section changed names several times & is now a Morrisons.

Accoring to the tribute side Woolworths got into the Supermarket / department store game with the Woolco branding.

Some had a workshop for fitting new tyres, something I've only seen at (non-car accessory shops) Costco. One near Belfast had a petrol station attached, a real novelty at the time.

[stuckinthe80's]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

We had a large Co-op in our town that opened in the early 80's. It had the usual large food area as you walked in like any other supermarket but I remember that the far side of the store had a huge carpeted area that had other non food stuff for sale. It had clothes and some electrical stuff from what I remember. Also this was where the Santa's Grotto was in December.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

I remember our town having two supermarkets in the early days. A Presto and a Co-op, but we seldom shopped there as we used the local shops. My parents did however travel 12 or so miles to a different supermarket quite often, although I was too young to remember what supermarket it was.

The first 'out of towns' to appear near us were a Co-op Hypermarket and a Morrisons in the mid-late 80's followed by a Sainsbury's but again we didn't shop in them as the local shops were adequate then. Tesco were the late-comers and didn't arrive until the early 2000's.

The Presto in my home town turned into a Safeway but is now a Wilkinsons. The Co-op was recently halved in size. The Hypermarket turned into an ASDA in the 90's.

[goldenone]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

I remember at one point back in the very late 80's/early 90's my local Asda had a small video library which was part of their store.

[sf1378]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

I can remember when Boots used to sell really good toys...they seem to be doing that again now too.

[sweep]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

I remember the Fine Fare in Hyde used to sell 3 piece suites as well as beds and dining room furniture if memory serves i think they even sold white goods.

[sf1378]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

Having seen old Asda ads on youtube they used to sell white goods too didn't they....

[Richard1978]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

They certainly still sell small kitch appliances at my nearsest one, the bigger ones might sell white goods.

[HG]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

Asda Living sell the white goods these days.

[sweep]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

Many large supermarkets do now sell white goods but in the 70s most supermarkets in this area sold only food and cleaning products

[80sChav]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

I can remember when Boots used to sell really good toys...they seem to be doing that again now too.

... and other thing's too, lovley litle Xmas gifts! A friend gave me a gift voucher for Boots about 10 years since and I bout a lovley Cookie and Tea Pot set!

[Powdered toast man]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

When the big Tesco opened in my town in the early 80s, there was a clothes department, a toy department and even a small alcove at the back of the store where they sold paints and wallpaper. The fruit and veg department had a small counter where you bagged up your oranges/spuds/cabbages etc and a lady would weigh and seal the bags for you. Those were the days when all the tills were staffed and Tescos always seemed very busy. The same supermarket now has about 6 checkouts, 4 of them always seemed to be unmanned and they have now replaced the remaining 8 checkouts with self-scan tills that are always out of order. But it seems to be the only supermarket now that will cut cheese and meats for you the way you want it instead of lots of pre-cut and wrapped portions left in wicker baskets near the deli counter.

[Richard1978]

Re: Supermarkets with seperate departments

I remember in the mid-late 1980s a lot of bigger supermarkets started to get seperate deli counters along with an in-store bakery.

My local Asda still has them along with a fish counter.