zinfamous
No Lifer
- Jul 12, 2006
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Kmart was very much a johnny-come-lately to where/when I grew up in western Pennsylvania.
We had G. C. Murphy (later just Murphy's), of course, which was probably well established even before my grandmother was born. They were in downtowns everywhere, then in indoor malls when malls became the rage in the 1960s and later.
Then there was W. T. Grant (or just Grants), which opened up in the new shopping center just up the street from where I grew up. I'll always remember the huge candy counter in the middle of the store and the smell of popcorn. When Grandma took us there we made a beeline for the candy and she'd buy a little of everything by the 1/4 and 1/2 pound. Most, or maybe all of it was Brachs, I remember. The store had a large attached restaurant with a lunch counter with stools. I remember having the best chocolate milkshakes that I've ever had there. This was before a single McDs, Burger Krap, or any other fast food chains had polluted the area.
Grants went out of business in the 1970s and the one near us was replaced by a McCrory's. Very similar store.
About that same time, the first K-Mart opened in a new expansion in that same shopping center. The only thing I remember about it was that one of my friend's mom worked there for years. I recall her walking up and down the street to work many days. It wasn't nearly as large as the McCrory's store, but it was clean and a bit newer.
But the real discount store in the area, was Gee Bee. It was the first anchor in the first strip shopping center in the area. It had the most outrageously cheap and crappy goods that you could find in any store in the area. My mom was a little bit of a snob, and in all the thousands of times she took me and my siblings out shopping, I don't remember ever going into Gee Bee with her.
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GC Murphy was great: they sold the 40-packs of Garbage Pail Kids.
Hey, anyone remember Brendle's, or Rose's?
Brendle's was more of an electronics specialist...and also luggage and home goods, I think.