How have grocery stores changed since you were a kid?

[RedAngie]

In the 80s major brands of soda like Coke and Pepsi came in 3 liter bottles. But they were discontinued after a few years. Now it’s rare to see 3L, except in a few store brands.

Pathmark started a generic line called “No Frills,” cheaper than their store brand. It started slowly, then after a year or two it expanded into both sides of an aisle. Then after several more years it gradually started shrinking and eventually disappeared.





They even had No Frills beer and cigarettes.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah, my state used to have pretty puritanical laws about alcohol but they're relaxed a lot of them in the 2000s. Now we can buy alcohol on Sundays (but not on Christmas or Thanksgiving), order takeout drinks from restaurants (thanks Covid), and more.

One of our local grocery chains also owns a huge liquor store. When the state expanded how many liquor licenses a single entity can hold, they started putting mini liquor stores in some of their larger grocery stores (mini compared to the flagship store, the section is larger than many standalone liquor stores).

It's so interesting the days that become illegal to purchase at the grocery store or liquor store. Christmas and Thanksgiving common but for us add in Easter and those three are considered statewide. Then depending on where you live add in Memorial Day and 4th of July and Labor Day (those become local ordinances rather than a state-wide thing like the other holidays).

 

[tvguy]

In the 80s major brands of soda like Coke and Pepsi came in 3 liter bottles. But they were discontinued after a few years. Now it’s rare to see 3L, except in a few store brands.

Pathmark started a generic line called “No Frills,” cheaper than their store brand. It started slowly, then after a year or two it expanded into both sides of an aisle. Then after several more years it gradually started shrinking and eventually disappeared.

View attachment 1038737

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They even had No Frills beer and cigarettes.
View attachment 1038739

3 liter brand name soda bottles are still common in Texas. And Shasta brand soda is available here in 3 liter bottles. While usually sold in bargain stores like Dollar Tree and 99 Cent stores, they also make La Croix sparkling water which most stores here carry.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

3 liter brand name soda bottles are still common in Texas. And Shasta brand soda is available here in 3 liter bottles. While usually sold in bargain stores like Dollar Tree and 99 Cent stores, they also make La Croix sparkling water which most stores here carry.

I was in HS when they came out with the 3-liter bottles. I remember my boyfriend buying them and by the time it would be finished, the soda was flat. Good for parties I guess.

 

[DodgerGirl]

When my mother was a little girl my grandmother had a nice grocery store that actually delivered to houses and when my mother was little Grandma would buy the groceries and give the cashier a time when the grocery delivery would occur and when my mom and uncles and aunts would return from school the groceries would be delivered at the house and Grandma would also buy her meats and hot dogs from that same grocery store too and when my mom told me the story I thought it was the coolest invention. And this was way before Instacart began. My grandma also had the stamp promotions for the green stamps and she would use them at Christmas to give toys to my mom's cousins when they were little

 

[PollyannaMom]

3 liter brand name soda bottles are still common in Texas.

This made me think of something random. - I remember learning about the metric system in school as a kid, and it was taught as if we were all going to convert to it here in the U.S. But of course that didn't happen, and now we're off from most of the world in most of our everyday measurements.

Whether 2L or 3L, I wonder why that particular piece (soda volume) of the failed metric conversion stuck around? (...along with 5K and 10K races, and what other anomalies?)

 

[AnnaS]

In the 80s major brands of soda like Coke and Pepsi came in 3 liter bottles. But they were discontinued after a few years. Now it’s rare to see 3L, except in a few store brands.

Pathmark started a generic line called “No Frills,” cheaper than their store brand. It started slowly, then after a year or two it expanded into both sides of an aisle. Then after several more years it gradually started shrinking and eventually disappeared.

View attachment 1038737

View attachment 1038738

They even had No Frills beer and cigarettes.
View attachment 1038739

Memories.... "no frills"

 

[tvguy]

This made me think of something random. - I remember learning about the metric system in school as a kid, and it was taught as if we were all going to convert to it here in the U.S. But of course that didn't happen, and now we're off from most of the world in most of our everyday measurements.

Whether 2L or 3L, I wonder why that particular piece (soda volume) of the failed metric conversion stuck around? (...along with 5K and 10K races, and what other anomalies?)

Well, to be honest, looking at the metric system in Canada is interesting. They transitioned to metrics 50 YEARS ago, and looking at the grocery store flyer (see link), prices are still listed in large type in pounds and ounces, and the metric price is in the fine print. According to Google, one-third of the Canadian population is over age 50, which means two-thirds of the population was born and educated after the transition in Canada, yet in the grocery store, pounds and ounces are still the dominate measurement system.

https://www.safeway.ca/flyer

 

[barkley]

Well, to be honest, looking at the metric system in Canada is interesting. They transitioned to metrics 50 YEARS ago, and looking at the grocery store flyer (see link), prices are still listed in large type in pounds and ounces, and the metric price is in the fine print. According to Google, one-third of the Canadian population is over age 50, which means two-thirds of the population was born and educated after the transition in Canada, yet in the grocery store, pounds and ounces are still the dominate measurement system.

https://www.safeway.ca/flyer

when we travelled to canada a handful of years ago I was surprised to see that the grocery stores had a hit and miss situation with items sold by weight-some displayed metric, some pounds/ounces, some both. we were in an area that got lots of seasonal u.s. tourists so I asked the owner of the lodging we were at if the differences were b/c of tourism. she informed me that it was 'because the government can't decide what it really wants-and some of us were taught one way while others were taught the other'. it seemed very confusing (or limiting to the store one was familiar with the measurement system on).

I was in school when the u.s. announced converting to metric-what a mess it was trying to teach all us kids a different basis of measurement (not as bad as when they tried to teach us 'new math' though-that one year 3rd grade that they implemented it confused us kids so much that we had to do the traditional 3rd grade curriculum in 4th and then they did a hybrid 4th/5th/6th grade curriculum for the next 2 years to try to get us up to speed for Jr. high ).

 

[BayouQueen]

We discovered that with turkey as well. Outside Thanksgiving and Christmas time, the only turkey they usually carry is ground turkey. When my wife sees a boneless turkey breast in the meat case, she buys it. Makes no sense to me as they sell chicken parts, breast filets etc, but not turkey. Butcher says people just don't buy turkey outside the holidays anymore but says the boneless turkey breasts used to be sold year round. .

The turkey thing is really odd. And maybe regional. When we used to spend a lot of time in Idaho, we bought super fresh and delicious turkey breasts at the regular grocery store all year 'round. We loved our summer turkey dinners. Here in Southern California, no way. There's nothing like that here. Which is kind of odd since this is health food country and home of the Cobb salad. I really don't get it.

 

[tvguy]

The turkey thing is really odd. And maybe regional. When we used to spend a lot of time in Idaho, we bought super fresh and delicious turkey breasts at the regular grocery store all year 'round. We loved our summer turkey dinners. Here in Southern California, no way. There's nothing like that here. Which is kind of odd since this is health food country and home of the Cobb salad. I really don't get it.

It is odd for all the reasons you stated. Another thing we can never find anymore is beef short ribs.

 

[BayouQueen]

It is odd for all the reasons you stated. Another thing we can never find anymore is beef short ribs.

We do have those in our grocery sometimes, but they're very expensive for a package of like two small ribs. I guess they're the rich man's pot roast now.