So many shops closing, so much online shopping

Ou fail to get my point M0nica.

RosieandherMaw

Not every house has a pantry’!
It’s like “some people park on the street, we always put our car (s) in our 5 car garage”
Smug?

If you live in an old house, even a very old one, you may well have a pantry. In the 19th century almost every little terrace house had one.

My grandmother lived in a small stock 1930s semi. The area under the stairs was divided into 3 cupboards. the tall thin one by the kitchen door was used as, and called, 'the pantry'.

DD lives in an original Garden City ex council house. It was built with a pantry. In her case, the space was later incorporated into a kitchen extension. She is now moving to a modern house and has already decided that she will use a cupboard in the hall near the kitchen as a pantry. Nothing smug ot boastful about having a pantry.

Come to that, plenty of quite modest homes in rural areas have lots of off road parking. We had a Victorian semi on a corner plot in a town with a road running down the side, We had a double garage and off road parking for more cars, the identical other half to our semi had no off road parking at all because they had no side access.

If I had ever been lucky enough to build my own house I would like to have a pantry again, Norah

NotSpaghetti

Norah for many years we had neither fridge nor freezer. It wasn't till the 1990s we had one.
We always had a pantry which was fine. We pickled and bottled produce, bought dry foods (lentils, chick peas, rice, sultanas etc) in bulk - it wasn't really difficult because we were a big enough family that nothing much was ever given time to go off!

There was a recent thread questioning American style fridge freezers, we've a large Bosch. I suppose I was thinking to that thread. A pantry is lovely.

I'd love a pantry!

In the meantime I'll have to make do with my large fridge/freezer.
Smug, moi?

Not every house has a pantry’!
It’s like “some people park on the street, we always put our car (s) in our 5 car garage”
Smug?

I’m amazed by pictures of American fridges, the size of a wardrobe. They seem to keep all food and drink in there. I only put perishable items in my fridge - dairy and salad and meat for the cats and dog. Not fruit or vegetables or bread.
I have a pantry for everything else.

Norah for many years we had neither fridge nor freezer. It wasn't till the 1990s we had one.
We always had a pantry which was fine. We pickled and bottled produce, bought dry foods (lentils, chick peas, rice, sultanas etc) in bulk - it wasn't really difficult because we were a big enough family that nothing much was ever given time to go off!

Totally off topic here but last night on The Apprentice one of the contestants didn't know what rhubarb was.

Hosiery is another word that I doubt youngsters would know

They probably don’t know what a gusset is either.

(Nothing to do with the shops mentioned, but I felt there was a similarity).

Aveline

Hosiery is another word that I doubt youngsters would know.
When I was shopping for new clothes and shoes this week (an extremely rare occurrence) I was so impressed by the friendly helpful service of the lady in one clothes shop and the young girl in a shoe shop. It made the experience very pleasant. I had always enjoyed working with the customers when I worked in a large shop years ago. There's something important about human interaction.

It depends on the individual. My daughter loves to do local shopping and be on friendly terns with assistants, but then she lives in Chorlton, Manchester with its buzzy vibe.
I live in the sticks and need internet shopping; I also am past being 'sold' stuff by an assistant - too distracting as I am an old, seasoned shopper who knows the game.
I am amused by human interaction though. I just love those local shops for local people where you are eyed a bit warily!

If I told my friend I was going to harden my attitudes, he would think I was going to join a gym.

Hardening of the attitudes - I love that turn of phrase! Life certainly does change - and we need to change and adapt along with it.

RosieandherMaw

Let’s face it, life is constantly changing.
If GN had existed in the 60’s and 70’s there would have been endless threads on the rise of supermarkets, no more Mr Bun the Baker or Mr Green the Grocer, no more blue sugar paper-wrapped dry goods. Then Green Shield Stamps came and went.
No more genteel ladies’ outfitters or milliners and the Four Candles sketch would go over most Gen Z heads!
Hardening of the attitudes is a pernicious disease of the elderly - we should guard against it!

Of course RosieandherMaw is correct.

How would we be communicating on GN without internet? How did my granny survive without a refrigerator and freezer? Life changes.

Yes! Hosiery - available in mum's habberdashers and dad's shop too!

Hosiery is another word that I doubt youngsters would know.
When I was shopping for new clothes and shoes this week (an extremely rare occurrence) I was so impressed by the friendly helpful service of the lady in one clothes shop and the young girl in a shoe shop. It made the experience very pleasant. I had always enjoyed working with the customers when I worked in a large shop years ago. There's something important about human interaction.

NotSpaghetti

Ha ha. Yes. A great word. Nicer than
Ironmongery and Drapery.

Confectionary survives I think...

Confectionery certainly does.

Allira

Oreo

Isn’t haberdashery a great word? I don’t suppose young people have a clue what it is😁

Some schoolchildren will as they go to Haberdashers' Schools

As my aunt did 😊

Ha ha. Yes. A great word. Nicer than
Ironmongery and Drapery.

Confectionary survives I think...

Oreo

Isn’t haberdashery a great word? I don’t suppose young people have a clue what it is😁

Some schoolchildren will as they go to Haberdashers' Schools

Isn’t haberdashery a great word? I don’t suppose young people have a clue what it is😁

Grammaretto I think, as your comment shows, shopping in person can be very satisfying. Both my parents had shops - a ladies clothes shop - bride's mother and evening wear type (Dad's business) and a haberdashery and baby linen shop (Mum's).
I worked as a "Saturday girl" and genuinely understand the lovely warm relationships that develop in good retail.
I'd like to think that good retailers will live on but wonder if they will have to be quite specialised to survive in future.

Three independent shoe shops I used to buy my shoes from have closed and there's no decent haberdashery anywhere near.

I went to 6 places locally (in person) looking for screws of particular dimensions to match the thread on another. ...The sixth place was amazing. It was a trade store situated behind a busy factory, using their entry(!) in an old industrial area. They didn't have the length that I thought I needed but gave me four screws to try. It was a family business. I do hope it will survive! I was SO happy I went back with a fancy box of biscuits. 😃

That’s true RosieandherMaw 👏🏻👏🏻
Towns that manage to retain a lot of independent shops are the upmarket lovely towns in well off areas.
I once visited both towns mentioned upthread, Oakham in Rutland and Stamford in Lincolnshire and they are really nice places to visit and shop, particularly Stamford I thought.We were just passing through but it would have been good to have seen more of them.
A lot of towns don’t fall into that bracket and you’d only see a Costa, Greggs and the usual suspects in them.Not that there’s anything wrong with Costa and Greggs, they do what they do well.

Let’s face it, life is constantly changing.
If GN had existed in the 60’s and 70’s there would have been endless threads on the rise of supermarkets, no more Mr Bun the Baker or Mr Green the Grocer, no more blue sugar paper-wrapped dry goods. Then Green Shield Stamps came and went.
No more genteel ladies’ outfitters or milliners and the Four Candles sketch would go over most Gen Z heads!
Hardening of the attitudes is a pernicious disease of the elderly - we should guard against it!

I tried on a number of pairs of shoes in an independent shop sale yesterday. They didn't have what I liked in my size but sourced it from their other branch. I paid in advance with the promise of a refund if they aren't right.
I paid with cash I am old fashioned
This morning I had a phonecall from the manager to say they had forgotten to give me my change!

I also had my watchstrap repaired for free at the Jeweller in the same town.

At the coffee shop, I managed to forget my walking stick and the girl clearing the tables came running after me! A shopping experience to relish.