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Groceteria

@groceteria.bsky.social

130 followers 110 following 580 posts

Supermarket and retail history, photos, commercial archaeology, random pop culture, architecture, and urban history. Librarian by day. https://groceteria.com/ 🇺🇸🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈🏴‍☠️

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Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 7h

Fort Worth is turning out to be more interesting than I expected, but as I look at old locations on Google Maps it's apparent that its old commercial strips have not aged well.

Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 8h

That's great. I can't remember why but I was looking at some other into about that building just a few days ago and I didn't make the connection.

Reposted by Groceteria

jordan silver 🔵 @silverlyne.bsky.social · 11h

@fredy.bsky.social has a great blog post about the building in the tweet you quoted: bucketcreature.net/posts/rtdter...

6th & Maple Bus Terminal

bucketcreature.net

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Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 12h

I think the urinals and sinks were free, but who knows...

Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 12h

My hometown airport had these when I was a kid. It also had coin-operated toilet stalls.

LA Dork @ladork.bsky.social · 13h

Greyhound bus terminal, LA, 1969.

Who remembers coin-operated TVs? For that matter, indoor ashcans, newspapers, and nattily dressed commuters? 😎

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Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 12h

Sorry. Resistance was futile.

Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 13h

Also present were convenience store pioneers Tote'm Stores (later 7-11) and Iceteria.

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Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 13h

By 1941, all these brands had disappeared, replaced by Safeway (16 stores), Worth Food Markets (11), and Picwick Food Stores (5). Safeway had acquired the local Piggly Wiggly stores and Worth took many of the Helpy-Selfy stores.

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Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 1d

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Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 1d

Fort Worth TX in 1930 has 27 Piggly Wiggly stores, 23 A&P, 17 Helpy-Selfy, and 11 Clarence Saunders stores. And Helpy-Selfy has always been one of my favorite chain names ever. More to come.

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Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 1d

Quibbling with article, I'd point out that most of their stores are in NORTH Carolina, where they're based and were founded (in my hometown yet) rather than South Carolina.

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Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 2d

Putting Binghamton on hold for a bit because reasons but please enjoy these lovely A&P photos.

Newspaper ad showing A&P locations around Binghamton NY in 1965.

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Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 2d

I never know whether to love it or hate it when I finally manage to make something work correctly but I have no idea whatsover just how the hell I did it.

Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 4d

Next stop: Binghamton NY. It's looking more interesting than I expected, though I can't go any further back than 1950.

Groceteria @groceteria.bsky.social · 4d

Sigh. It's just another one of those apocalyptic signs we're facing on a daily basis. You used to be able to confidently walk into any diner or cafeteria and assume you could get a full turkey dinner at any time.

I blame COVID.