14 Grocery Store Practices from the Past That Were Just Weird
These outdated supermarket customs might make you raise an eyebrow today, but they were once totally normal.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Shopping for groceries wasn’t always as streamlined as it is now — in fact, some practices from the past feel downright bizarre today. From store clerks grabbing your groceries to smoking while browsing produce, old-school grocery shopping had its quirks. Here’s a list of 14 grocery store habits that were once common but now seem utterly strange.
1. Clerks Picked Your Groceries for You
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In the early 1900s, customers handed a list to a clerk, who then gathered every item. You never walked the aisles — because there weren’t any.
2. Self-Service Was a Novelty
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When self-service stores first popped up, people were confused and hesitant. The idea of grabbing your own items felt strange and even rude to some.
3. Free Cigarette Samples at Checkout
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Yes, you could once snag a free smoke with your loaf of bread. Some stores had promotional reps handing out single cigarettes as samples.
4. No Refrigeration for Meat or Dairy
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Before widespread refrigeration, perishable items were sold fresh and fast. Meat sat on open counters, and milk came in glass bottles cooled with blocks of ice.
5. In-Store Butchers Cutting Meat to Order
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Butchers weren’t hidden in back rooms — they were right there behind the counter, chopping steaks and grinding beef on the spot. You could watch them work and even request a specific cut.
6. Credit Accounts at the Store
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Instead of swiping a card, shoppers often bought on credit — literally signing a ledger and settling up at the end of the month. It was all based on trust and relationships.
7. Lack of Pre-Packaged Goods
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You didn’t grab a bag of chips off the shelf — you scooped them from a bin. Most products came in bulk and required weighing or wrapping on-site.
8. Store Boys Carrying Groceries to Your Car
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Teenage “bag boys” would load up your trunk as part of the service — no tipping required. They wore crisp uniforms and called you “ma’am” or “sir.”
9. No Shopping Carts at First
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People used hand-held baskets or even brought their own bags. When carts were introduced, customers thought they were silly or too large.
10. In-Store Giveaways and Dish Promotions
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Buy enough groceries and you might score a single plate or cup. Collectible dishware sets were used to lure shoppers back on a weekly basis.
11. Smoking Inside the Store
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Lighting up while browsing was perfectly acceptable for decades. Ashtrays sat on counters, and no one batted an eye if you smoked in the bread aisle.
12. Limited Hours and Closed on Sundays
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Many stores shut down early and stayed closed on Sundays. If you didn’t get your shopping done by Saturday evening, you were out of luck.
13. Paper-Only Receipts — If You Got One
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Cashiers rang up totals on mechanical registers and scribbled your receipt by hand, if at all. Many customers left with their groceries and no record of purchase.
14. Oddball Advertising Stunts
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Live animals, costumed mascots, or store employees shouting deals with megaphones — all were fair game to get customers through the door.