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This was the golden age of retail. When I was a kid, I grew up within a few miles of at least 10 different discount department stores, including Zayre, Warwick Shoppers World, Ann & Hope, Nyanza, K Mart, Atlantic Mills, Woolworth's, etc. The consumer had plenty of choices, keeping prices competitive. Now, all that's left is greedy Walmart, and if you can stomach it, woke Target. Walmart monopolizes the market with their cheaply made store-brand products from China. It's like shopping in a surveillance prison with their facial recognition systems, with customers every day falsely being accused of stealing. If they mistrust their customers that much, why not remove the self-checkouts and use real cashiers? They don't because they'll have to pay them. It's disgusting what it's all turned into. When the big fish swallows the smaller fish, there will be only one left. Soon, we'll have no choice, leaving ONE department store chain, ONE drugstore, ONE supermarket, ONE sporting goods store, etc. It goes back to Reagan undoing all the anti-trust laws that allowed this.

My father worked for Woolworths for 42 years. I still have the Woolworths coin that was given to him for 25 years of service.

Just another idea for a series of videos, retail in other countries that was once connected to US retail. For example New Zealand has Zmart that is still going strong. It was one connected to the US company. A&W is another, huge in Canada.

It would be interesting to see a flow chart that shows what retail stores were bought out by who and where they ended up.

If I didn't get parts when I would go to the Market pro computer shows I would go to Comp USA.

1994 Bradlees opened in Manhattan, it was euphoric

Proof that the model still works-IKEA.

Literally never heard of Best. I’ll have to look into where they actually had stores.

I lived in North Ridgeville,Ohio in the mid 1990's and Caldor had offices there in the old Fisher's Big Wheel store which is now a Marc's.

I always thought Venture was a nationwide chain.. 🤔

Thank you

I USED TO SHOP AT CALDORS WITH MY GRAMPA

Really surprising that KMART bought so many Venture stores, even though none of the Venture stores had a GARDEN CENTER (nor did Kmart add a garden center to any of them) despite garden centers traditionally being a very lucrative asset for Kmart!

Also, we do multiple places to buy the same items, and the places should not be owned by the same people. Amazon and Walmart are trying to become monopolies. You can't throw your hands in the air and give up. Fight back and spend your money locally.

Ha my cousin worked here in the 80s.

In Northern Calif, and I remember Service Merchandise, Best, and also Consumers Distributing. Low service levels all, and you had to be patient since it took the time it took for it to finally reach the counter, via staff or conveyer belt.

No Place, No Place.. Like Service Merchandise

Early 90s chevys Mexican restaurant, the food court with the super nice Asian guy, the wall painting in the food court the exhilrama arcade having birthday party

I’m looking at the Seth Thomas mantle clock my dad bought there in 1979, sentimental moment as I was with him at the time. I remember him filling out the order card and the clock rolling off the rollers from upstairs. Different times indeed.

You're such a great storyteller, Have you thought about expanding your channel to business that are still in business? So may success stories that you would be great at telling 😀 Just a thought! Thanks for all your hard work!

This is a great video. Could you possibly do a video about another record store called coconuts and strawberries? I shopped there in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Loved service merchandise

As a kid, I loved watching items come down the conveyor belt.

Hmmm another big Jewish-started and owned company

I worked at a Hollywood Video in Upstate NY when I was a teenager. I remember the training videos emphasizing how to properly recommend movies to watch. Also pushing candy and popcorn sales was big lol. It was right when VHS was gone and it was all DVD. I wish I could remember more, what a time to be alive.

We had a SM in my hometown. As a kid I was fascinated by the conveyor belt part after check out.

Incompetent USA. That's what I called them.

Oy vey. We had to change our store name to Shlekht.

I almost got into a fight in the parking lot of a Service Merchandise in Las Vegas in 1988. I bought the last silk dogwood tree they had on display and that pissed off another customer who wanted it. He followed me and my wife into the parking lot yelling obscenities at me the whole way. If my wife didn’t really want the tree I would have wrapped it around that guy’s head. We have laughed about that scene for years and have held onto the tree just for the memories. LOL.

too bad this CHannel NEVER TOOK OFF i dont know why ?? realy nice videos

I was a Silent Sam expert.

2025! 🎉🎉🎉

2025! 🎉🎉🎉

2025! Shout out Jamesway Route 130 East Windsor, NJ🎉🎉🎉😢

Oh damn…. I forgot about coconuts! I bought there about the time that Best Buy started moving into the NJ market. 😮

New years 2025 post mortar binge! Let’s goooo!! 🎉🎉🎉

Here on new years 2025 for a post mortar binge! Always professional vids! 🎉🎉🎉

We need a redbox video now.

So much of my Mom's jewelry was from Service Merchandise...

John Geisse founded the Target discount department store chain while working for Dayton's and later founded the Venture discount department store chain while working for May Co.

You have a great voice!