At the end of the block on the street where I grew up was Jordan’s. You know the kind of place. Shelves that contain a little bit of everything to save you a trip to the grocery or hardware store and where you could get a grape popsicle for a nickel or a pretzel stick for 2¢.
Since my move earlier this month I now drive a new way to
the office and pass several corner stores.
Most of them have red lettering on large yellow signage that simply
states Grocery Store and smaller lettering that tells what they offer. Words like Nachos or Submarines are common,
but what has really caught my attention are the various specialties or items
that the grocer believes will attract customers. For example, one advertises “We have meats
and greens” while another posts “socks and boxers.” One says “cigarettes” versus one farther
down the street that lists “tobacco products.”
My favorite, however, is “Full Line of Groceries” on one
corner and “Full Line of Human Hair” a few blocks later. It’s a sign (pun intended) of the changed and
changing times. Grape popsicles with the
double wooden sticks are a memory, as is a 2¢anything
(except for an opinion). Local proprietors
must cater to the residents of their neighborhoods and maybe those who might be
passing through.
The communities I live in are more likely to have a CVS on
the corner than an independent store. So
I’ve been thinking. Those stores that I
pass by: what would they need to post that would get me to stop in? I don’t know that I have an answer but I do
know that nostalgia has me sometimes longing for the simple times of Jordan’s. What about you?
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