Not too long ago, shopping was pretty much "either/or." You went to a department store, or you went to a specialty store.
I understand, of course, that in 2016 there are specialty stores all over New Jersey. The modern day merchants who cater to niche markets typically set up shop in malls, strip centers or downtown shopping districts.
This gallery offers a glimpse of a time when a niche retailer's primary competition was the department store. These were the days before the "big box" store; one-stop shopping at its most extreme. The big box store is a concept that was incomprehensible in my youth -- one store, one floor, with everything. Department store stuff ... check. Supermarket stuff ... check. Electronics, auto repairs, appliances ... check, check and check.
This gallery focuses on a time when the shopping choice was pretty much "either/or." That is, either you went to a department store, or you went to a specialty store.
Personally, I thought that was very cool. When you entered these shops, there wasn't any time wasted looking for something; the item you wanted was either right smack dab in front of you, or, a simple inquiry to the proprietor led you directly to it.
You want records? Go to a record shop. One foot inside the door and ... boom, records! Shoes? No wearing out your own traipsing to the back of a 250,000 square-foot super store; shoe stores had what you needed and nothing but.
LPs were far easier for us nearsighted folks to buy back then too. In a television or radio shop, not only did the proprietor have whatever you asked for, but there was also the fascinating sight of the owner being able to immediately locate what you wanted from what looked like complete chaos.
In my youth, there were specific places you went for specific things. Everyone who attended St. Francis of Assisi School went to Robert Hall for the obligatory brown blazers. Once in high school, everyone went to Bernie's Army-Navy for gym uniforms. There was a millinery shop on Delsea Drive (the name of which has escaped me) where my mother would go that utterly fascinated me. In this Delsea Drive shop, which was once a house, everything related to sewing could be procured.
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There were places you had to go to because they had that "thing" that was all the rage. When I was in the fourth grade, somehow having a really wide rubber band to strap around your bookbag was cool. And, there was only one place that carried them, a stationery store off the Boulevard near Landis Park whose name has also leaked out of my aging brain.
The thing that stood out most to me was the level of customer service provided. I'm sure that most employees of retailers these days are terrific, but those of us who grew up at a time when the folks who ran a store were also absolute experts on what they sold will feel a little less-than-satisfied today.
Here's a gallery of specialty stores from days gone by in New Jersey. Be sure to have captions enabled to read the information about these stores.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.