Anyone remember catalog stores?

[bcla]

I remember Consumers Distributing, Service Merchandise, and Best Products. They typically had a relatively spartan showroom (especially CD), display cases for jewelry, and perhaps a few display models.

As a kid I'd pore over the CD catalog looking for all the stuff I'd really wanted, including bikes and other stuff. They also have interesting items like gold bars. My parents wouldn't buy me a full video game console, but they did get me an Atari Touch Me handheld game. Around the age of 12 I got a microscope. I really wanted a telescope and ordered one, but didn't pay for it once it came from the back and we saw it had a plastic body. I got my first scientific calculator from a CD store and it's still working. The stores themselves were mostly catalog stands where people could go through the catalogs and fill in order forms.

Best Products was also heavily on the West Coast. They seemed to be more of a hybrid with some traditional retail items on store shelves, rather than in the back to be ordered. They also had fun with their buildings, making them look like they were falling apart or somehow defective.

http://www.siteenvirodesign.com/proj.best.php

The one that was closest to where I lived is now a Best Buy. My dad thinks they're somehow related, but I told him it was just a coincidence.

I think Service Merchandise was the biggest. They didn't have much of a retail presence around where I lived until maybe the late 80s, and by then their business was slowly dying due to competition from Wal-Mart and big box electronics stores. I bought an alarm clock at one location in the mid-90s. I actually bought the display model since they didn't have any more in the back, and got a discount for it. As a kid, I only remembered the name because Service Merchandise gift certificates were mentioned on Wheel of Fortune.

I'm sure there were more companies, but these three were the ones I remember in my area. There were other stores with a similar model like Gemco or Fedco. Sears and JC Penney had catalog sales including catalog pickup windows in their traditional retail stores.

 

[HM]

We had a couple around us that we occasionally bought things from. The things I remember buying are a microwave cabinet and a ring.

 

[Robinrs]

We had Consumers Distributing in NY and Service Merchandise in GA. Loved them! My mom had bad knees and she would send us shopping with the numbers and we'd wait for it and bring it to the car. Great way to shop!

 

[LBIJim]

In the Northeast, there was Basco, then Best moved in and eventually bought out Basco in the early/mid 80s. A Service Merchandise opened in the area in the mid 90s, but closed within 18 months or so.

I never really liked shopping at those places. As far as I remember, you had to stand in line to give someone your order slip, then go to another place to pay, then go to a third place to pick up your order. Sometimes, for larger items, the pickup location was even a short drive away.

I think I bought my first VCR at Best or Basco. Something like $400 in 1983.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I bought a microwave at (probably) Service Merchandise maybe 20 years ago. It still works.

 

[Happy Snowman]

Service Merchandise--isn't that where people could get gift certificates when they went shopping on Wheel of Fortune .

We had one in our area but I can't remember the name of the place...

 

[mumloveseeyore]

one called argos still exists in the uk, though you can order online too

 

[elgerber]

I loved Service Merchandise! We bought a BIG CD boombox from them, when they closed. Didn't really need it, but we thought we were getting a great deal. We still use it, out in the garage, and that was a long time ago!!

 

[powellrj]

We are still using a TV stand that we got from service merchandise. I hate to think how old it is!

 

[DVC-Don]

Bought a lot of stuff from Service Merchandise over the years. In fact my wedding ring is from there.

 

[trip]

Sears and JC Penney had catalog sales including catalog pickup windows in their traditional retail stores.

As did Montgomery Wards. Loved getting all of their Christmas catalogs!

 

[mom2rose&john]

Brand Names was a Catalog store in WNY. So funny because we were talking about favorite stores that are no longer in business around the fire pit this weekend and that one was a favorite.

You would get a catalog every season in the snail mail. They had some merchandise on the floor. You would write you item number on an invoice and put it in an inbox and you would wait for your invoice number to scroll on their board. I thought it was so fun to shop there.

I also remember the huge Penney's catalog sent twice a year. Fall/winter and Spring/summer. And, who could forget their Christmas toy Catalog. That puts Targets and Wal-Mart toy catalog to shame.

Ahh, the memories.

 

[suzimar57]

Service Merchandise, Montgomery Ward, Consumers Distributors, Grand Distributors - bought lots of xmas gifts from all of them in the 60s-70s, plus my first lava lamp!

 

[daughtersrus]

Before becoming self employed, my only other jobs were both for catalog companies. In the Chicago area we had McDade and Spiegel.

 

[bcla]

As did Montgomery Wards. Loved getting all of their Christmas catalogs!

Left that out intentionally since I was already mentioning enough names. I remember the steady decline of the neighborhood around our closest Montgomery Wards store. It seemed to start around the time that a shiny new mall was built in the 70s. Now the neighborhood is unsafe at night. The mall is in severe decline - most would think of it as a "ghetto mall" since many of the big name retailers have left, a lot of the visitors appear to be gang members, and it doesn't exude the feeling of being upscale any more.

Here's some selections from the 1990 JC Penney catalog:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/most-embarrassing-pages-of-the-1990-jc-penney-christm#2k8otl5

Did anyone actually wear these things?

 

[bcla]

Before becoming self employed, my only other jobs were both for catalog companies. In the Chicago area we had McDade and Spiegel.

I thought Spiegel was strictly mail order. The main concept of the catalog store was that you had to come in and order/pick up the item in person. There was no order form in these catalogs.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I really miss looking through the old Montgomery catalog. You could find anything in it.

 

[daughtersrus]

I thought Spiegel was strictly mail order. The main concept of the catalog store was that you had to come in and order/pick up the item in person. There was no order form in these catalogs.

Spiegel had a lot of outlet stores in the Chicago area but that was just overstock merchandise. You could not pick up your order in the stores or at the warehouse in Chicago.

McDade was a direct competitor to Service Merchandise. Catalogs were mailed but you had to go to the store to pick up. I remember people lining up before the store opened to pick up blank VHS tapes when they went on sale. $19.97 a piece with a limit of 10. $200 for blank tapes. I also remember selling the Pioneer Laser Disc. Basically a DVD much earlier. A movie was the size of an LP and cost over $100 each. I don't remember how much the player was.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Yes! I spent a lot of time in Consumers Distributors. Then one day - they were gone.

TP

 

[cybrkitn]

Yep! I remember Consumers and Service Merchandise. I bought my small tv entertainment center from Consumers back in the 80's and I still have it. Right now it has our tv on it in our bedroom and some of our CDs and DVDs in the narrow two-shelf cabinet. The only Consumers that's still around by us is Consumers Kitchens and Bath.

From Service Merchandise (or Service Merch as we called it), DH and I have a clock chime that is in our living room, wine goblets that we occasionally use and a tv tray set that we use everyday. Service Merch was still around when DH and I were married 15 years ago. In fact, it was one of our registries.