16 Grocery Store Features That Don’t Exist Anymore
Here's a look back at 16 grocery store features from the past that have disappeared with modernization, technology, and cultural shifts.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
Grocery stores have changed dramatically over the decades, with once-familiar features vanishing in favor of efficiency and convenience. From in-store soda fountains and butcher blocks to handwritten price tags and S&H Green Stamps, these elements reflect a more personal and community-centered shopping experience. Their disappearance shows how consumer habits, technology, and regulations reshaped the way we buy food today.
1. S&H Green Stamps
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In the mid-20th century, shoppers collected S&H Green Stamps with their purchases, which they could later redeem for household goods. Grocery stores handed out these stamps as loyalty rewards, and families often kept booklets full of them. The program faded in the 1980s as credit cards and digital rewards took over.
2. Glass Bottle Milk Deliveries in Stores
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Many grocery stores once had sections dedicated to fresh milk in glass bottles, often brought directly from local dairies. Customers could return the empty bottles for a small deposit refund. By the 1980s, plastic jugs and cartons replaced the practice almost entirely.
3. Coin-Operated Candy and Nut Dispensers
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Before packaged snacks dominated shelves, coin-operated machines inside grocery stores dispensed loose candy or peanuts. Children would beg parents for a nickel to get a small paper bag of sweets. Health and safety regulations, along with pre-packaged options, led to their decline.
4. In-Store Butcher Blocks with Custom Cuts
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Grocery stores once employed butchers who would cut meat to the customer’s exact preference on large wooden blocks. Shoppers could request specific thickness or even special preparation. Today, most stores sell pre-cut, pre-packaged meat to reduce labor costs and speed up sales.
5. Hand-Written Price Tags
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Instead of scanning barcodes, clerks once marked each item individually with ink or stickers. This meant prices could change daily depending on demand and availability. The adoption of UPC barcodes in the 1970s and 1980s eliminated this labor-intensive system.
6. Store Credit Accounts
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Before widespread credit card use, small grocery stores often allowed regular customers to run a tab. Shoppers would sign for purchases and settle the bill at the end of the month. This practice largely vanished as supermarkets expanded and standardized payment systems became the norm.
7. Separate Bread Counters
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Many older grocery stores featured dedicated bread counters with fresh loaves delivered daily by local bakeries. Clerks would bag the bread by hand and offer samples of new varieties. Today, bread is mass-produced, pre-packaged, and shelved with other baked goods.
8. Manual Meat Grinders for Customers
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It was once common for customers to bring cuts of meat to an in-store grinder to make fresh hamburger on the spot. Butchers would grind it right in front of them, ensuring quality and freshness. Concerns about cross-contamination and efficiency ended this practice.
9. In-Store Soda Fountains
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Some grocery stores, especially in the 1940s and 1950s, had soda fountains or counters for shoppers to grab a quick drink or snack. These became local gathering spots in addition to shopping destinations. As fast-food chains grew, soda fountains disappeared from grocery settings.
10. Clerks Who Memorized Prices
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Before computerized scanners, clerks memorized the price of nearly every item in the store. They totaled bills manually using mechanical cash registers. While impressive, this skill faded once barcodes streamlined the checkout process.
11. Self-Serve Tube Tester Stations
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During the mid-20th century, grocery stores often had tube tester kiosks where customers could check vacuum tubes from their radios or televisions. Shoppers would bring tubes from home, test them, and purchase replacements right there. These disappeared with the end of tube technology in the 1970s.
12. Trading Post Bulletin Boards
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Stores once offered bulletin boards where locals could post items for sale, job listings, or community announcements. These boards connected neighborhoods and made the grocery store a hub of local life. With the rise of online classifieds and social media, bulletin boards have nearly vanished.
13. In-Store Smoking Sections
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It might be surprising today, but many grocery stores allowed smoking inside well into the 1970s. Some even had ashtrays at the end of aisles or in waiting areas. Stricter health laws and cultural shifts put an end to this practice.
14. Paper-Only Bagging
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Before plastic bags became common in the late 1970s, all groceries were bagged in sturdy paper bags. Many stores even trained baggers in specific folding techniques to prevent spills. While some paper use has returned for environmental reasons, the dominance of paper-only bagging is long gone.
15. Customer Service Bells at Counters
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In smaller groceries, customers often rang a bell at the counter to summon a clerk for help. This system reflected a time when stores were more personal and service-oriented. Larger layouts and self-service shopping eliminated the need for such features.
16. Manual Weigh-and-Price Produce Scales
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Before electronic checkout systems, produce had to be weighed manually by a clerk who attached a price label. Customers watched as the produce was placed on a large scale with sliding weights. Today, digital scales and pre-packaged produce make the process much faster.