Writer's Block: Shops Gone By

[thebitterguy]

[Error: unknown template qotd]

Oh, man. So many. Every comic store I've ever shopped at, for starters. A + Books, Comics Plus, Cosmic Comics, Camelot Comics, that place in the Rideau Centre, and now Geekdom.

Altered States and Hairy T are doing something right.

Chainwise, I really miss Comsumers Distributing. I think they'd have been able to transition well into the internet era, although if you ask me why I have no idea.

Consumers used to be one of the two big catalogue companies at Christmas. You'd scroll through the Consumers and Sears catalogues, looking at what you wanted and putting together a cunningly arranged list. Yep.

Shopping there was an interesting experience. You'd put the product number on a slip, hand it to a sales rep, and they'd go in back and come back with either your product, or empty promises. They sucked for browsing, but were always cheaper than Sears, because they had less overhead.

Comments

[dewline.livejournal.com]

I remember Consumers Distributing. Given their standard procedures in those days, I think that you're right. If they'd managed to hang on long enough, the Net would have been a Strength for them.

[redeem147.livejournal.com]

There was a Consumer's Distributing clearance centre near me. I got lots of goodies there.

[commanderteddog.livejournal.com]

HA! I was talking about Consumers just the other day...

I only remember going into the store that used to be at Kipling and Queensway a lot as a kid, although I'm not sure why. I thought there was one closer. I was honestly bitter about the one that moved into Centre Mall, though. It took the place of a Jumbo Video and that was my place for finding old and strange VHS tapes to rent.

There was also the matter of the toys I wanted being always out of stock. :(

[lynne-h.livejournal.com]

Oh that sounds like Argos! We've still got those, but the waiting around was for them to be bothered to take the big things off teh storeroom shelves rather than if they had it or not.

Not great for buying tellies from, either, as it appears they use them instead of step ladders (giant foot print, squashed internal packaging, non funtional telly).

[thebitterguy]

Ich. That's not exactly taking care of the stock.

What's ironic is they probably sell ladders, but don't want to damage them too much.

[autobotsrollout.livejournal.com]

Altered States and Hairy T are doing something right.

In the case of Hairy T, I believe you mean "flagrantly breaking zoning, labour and workplace safety law."

[lynne-h.livejournal.com]

I'll swear its growing organically into the buildings around it. I know we don't get to go to it that often (being on the other side of the Puddle), but that's the impression from a once every couple of years visitor.

[shara.livejournal.com]

I'm glad *someone* said it...

[thebitterguy]

I strictly meant in terms of not going out of business.