Do you remember Service Merchandise?

[Halloweenqueen]

There used to be Best Stores that used the same catalog showroom concept.

 

[baldy6060]

We were just talking about SM the other day! My wife is several years younger than me & when I told her about it she couldn't understand the concept. I'll admit it could be a pain standing in one line to pay then another to wait on your stuff. And to see others who got there after you get their stuff before you, or to find out after you paid that there was a mistake and they were out of an item or to see your item get damaged coming down the conveyor belt was a bit frustrating. But I still miss it and their subpar Christmas catalogs and their overpriced merchandise. What I remember most is getting a gf a promise ring there and when I was younger I bought a WWF toy on clearance: a Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Shiek tag team set.

 

[teller80]

There used to be Best Stores that used the same catalog showroom concept.

Yup, I remember them too

 

[mickeyboat]

Our wedding bands came from there, and we did a bridal registry there too.

 

[Art 1]

Yes, I liked that place.

 

[teller80]

I loved Service Merchandise! My first baby's nursery furniture came from there.

LOL, you just reminded me of a funny story from that place. I filled out my slip for a bassinette for a baby shower. Got the box (I guess there was no picture on it, at least not a big picture), and I thought, wow, this is bigger than I thought it would be. Hauled it out to my car, finally got it in the trunk, when an employee comes running out. Here they gave me some very deluxe crib/dresser thingy by mistake. Somewhere on the box it said what it was.

The box that had what I ordered was MUCH smaller. I remember thinking how surprised the mom to be (and me!) would of been had she opened the first box.

 

[HubbDave]

Our wedding bands came from there, and we did a bridal registry there too.

We registered at the one in Leominster, MA (same city where the New England GKTW meet is next month)

Odd setup. Decent quality

 

[NaLisa]

Yes, when I was a child, you did all your Christmas shopping, especially toy shopping, at SM or Sears. That was before the days of Target and Walmart. I think my parents loved not having to scratch price tags off the gifts from Santa.

 

[Nancyg56]

I remember it. Liked going there - but funny I don't really remember the conveyor belt. But it seems like it was in our mall @ first then moved to another location years later. I remember looking @ luggage & jewelry

I loved that store, but I had forgotten about thr conveyor belt Now I remember standing in line, excited to see my item coming out. I got quite a few appliances from SM.

I agree that their concept was perfect for transforming it to an online store.

 

[Shmily1]

My first wedding band came from there... the store lasted longer than that marriage!

 

[CdnCarrie]

Sounds like our old Consumers Distributing.

 

[suzimar57]

i remember a Service Merchandise on route 17 in paramus, a Consumers in West New York, and another one (Grand?) in Teterboro, by the airport

all the same: catalog, in-store display, conveyer belt

got jewelry, luggage, lava lamps and clocks from them.

 

[shoney]

Sounds like our old Consumers Distributing.

The Consumers by us was strictly catalog. You went through the books and wrote down your purchase. They had a few things on display behind the counter, but nothing for the consumer to touch and feel in the store.

The Service Merchandise had the stuff in the store for you to look at. Then you would fill out your paper and pay. Then, you waited around the conveyor belt hoping it would be coming down soon, so you could leave!

I remember them never having your first choice. It was always an ordeal to shop there!

 

[phorsenuf]

Sure do! My husband and I bought our wedding bands there. We were young and poor. I wore that band up until a year and a half ago. Got 28 years out of that 50 bucks.

 

[kinntj]

Our wedding bands are from there. LOL! That was in '98. I think that was our only purchase from there.

 

[jen0610]

Yes! I just asked my husband, and he said, "I think you got a little bitty clipboard with a little bitty pencil and wrote stuff down."

I well remember walking around with that little clip board and uber small pencil filling out the pull form for the items you were purchasing. We had both Service Merchandise another local sotre that was very similar. Can't for the life of me remember the name of it, but I still remember the exact location of it in town. A HH Gregg sits in that location now.

Our wedding bands came from there, and we did a bridal registry there too.

We did as well. It was the only place in town that carried the dishes I wanted.

 

[Disneefun]

We still have the entertainment center we bought from there in our living room!

 

[KimR]

I remember shopping there. We also had a similar store called Ellman's that I think was renamed to something else, but I can't remember what it was.

 

[Robmom]

I remember it! I bought my Sony Walkman there.

 

[cybrkitn]

Yep! DH and I still have our wine glasses, chime clock and T.V. trays from there. Although the T.V. trays have seen better days. We have 2 out of 4 that are broken. Oh, and as far as the weird conveyor belt goes, Consumers stores used to have the same thing. Consumers used to be a store similar to Service Merch, but much smaller.

My mom loved their catalog, but b/c her address is almost identical to another address in the same zip code, she never got it. To give an example, our zip code incorporates the main town, East, West, and North. We live in East. The address that is almost identical is in North and their street name has an "N" in front of it, where my mom's does not. Don't know who thought that was a good idea to do