While Fred Meyer did make an attempt to update the clothes department here, they still left a lot of reminders of what it used to look like -- the fixtures are the same (probably not even repainted), the decor elements other than the signs are the same, and even some of the old signs were left in place. I found it amusing how for something as simple as the women's/ladies dressing/fitting rooms/room, every word is different between the two signs!
Wow, that's pretty crazy that they changed each word! I suppose that's like 'Produce' turning into 'The Kroger Garden' or something like that, but here they changed each word without really doing a whole lot different! I suppose they figured out how to be different without really being all that different, lol.
ReplyDeleteAre you familiar with the former Eagle Hardware & Garden chain that operated out of Washington? It looks like they were purchased by Lowe's about 20 years ago. I was looking at their 1997 annual report and, wow, neon at a hardware store! This is so much cooler than a Home Depot/Lowe's. It reminds me a bit of a Builders Square II, Kmart's 1990s take on a hardware store. It was more focused on demo kitchens, bedrooms, and such rather than just stacking products out in the center of the store. This is even neater than Builders Square IIs though.
If all hardware stores were this neat, people would actually put up photos of them on Flickr and such instead of ignoring them as they do now! You should check this out if you have not already.
https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/reports/id/43706/rec/6
Yeah, Eagle is definitely on my list of stores to do something about, if I ever get around to it. Most of their stores are still around and even have some leftover stuff, though nothing nearly as cool as what those pictures show! The thing that's been holding me back is that I absolutely HATE shopping at Lowes (or the Home Depot), and whenever I have to go there, I always want to just grab whatever I need and run, rather than hanging around to take pictures. I'll have to get over that one day...
DeleteHa, yeah, you're not the only one who feels that way about Lowe's and Home Depot. I figure that's why there are so few photos of them online. Lowe's might have been neat back in the 1980s back when they sold electronics and such, but I don't know. I only recently learned that Lowe's was in the outskirts of the Houston area as far back as the late 1970s, but I didn't know about them until the 1990s.
DeleteThis is an awesome annual report with lots of great photos and a store layout map even. It even lists their locations, albeit in picture/map form. It's just a shame the boring warehouse stores survived and not something that at least spiced up their warehouse stores. I can see why you'd be upset with the state of current hardware stores when this is what the NW was used to! I'd like to see what remnants of this are left over if you get a chance.