02-07-2013, 08:33 PM
11
Re: New tales from a retired shop keeper.
Confessions of a retired shopkeeper."Another day another dollar. " My first boss greeted each day as another opportunity to relieve her unsuspecting customers of their hard earned dosh. I learnt a lot from her and saw nothing unusual in working for a lady manager. This was back in the swinging 1960s and anything was possible. I suppose I instinctively accepted the fact that women of the species are deadlier than the male. Girl power came much later.
These were the days before self service and electronic scanning of goods at checkouts. There were no checkouts, just someone stood behind a counter or wrapping desk .No computers or adding machines .If you were so dim you couldn't add up all the items in your head, a pencil list was written on the back of a brown paper bag and added up. In three columns for this was old money, pre decimalisation. Pounds shillings and pence. Visitors from across the pond just could not fathom it. They would hand over a fistful of notes and coins and ask wearily would we,
"Take it out of that will you buddy". And shuffle from foot to foot, embarrassed and grateful It was easy once you were used to it. If you are under the age of 40 I'll explain. There were 12 pennies in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound. . Ten shillings, [paper money then] was ten bob. A crown or 5 bob was five shillings and 2/6 was 2 shillings and 6 pennies. . I'll spare you thruppences, sixpences, florins and guineas.
My first confession,
Half price! Two little words guaranteed to grab the attention of even the most jaded and weary of shoppers.
Buy one get one free! Isn't that the same as half price? I guess not, for this ploy shifts twice as much merchandise off the shelves as does a straightforward half price. Even so, it's hard to see why shopkeepers want to lug around twice as many baked beans or whatever to take the same amount of money.
New, such an innocent sounding little word. Full of optimism bright hope and promise. Back in the 4th century ,B.C. Ecclesiastes was declaring to all and sundry that, "There's nothing new under the sun " He went on to say that everything is meaningless and pointless, which I think was probably going a bit too far. Of course "Buy one, get one free" might fall in to this category.
New and half price may seem a bit desperate, but hard times require
Desperate measures. What about the corner shopkeeper who had Woolworths and M & S open up either Side of him, No panic, he just changed the sign over his shop to read
Main entrance.
02-07-2013, 08:49 PM
14
Re: New tales from a retired shop keeper.
Originally Posted by fitou143
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"Ding Dong" showing you're true colours there Robert, LOL
Born a cockney, there's a surprise.
Terry THomas died in 1990 after a long struggle with Parkinsons disease, I have it too which makes me a soul-buddy to him.
02-07-2013, 08:54 PM
15
Re: New tales from a retired shop keeper.
Originally Posted by Jem
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Liked that about Gods gift to Torquay Robert and the last bit tugged at my heart strings, a wise understanding Lady, God bless her.
SHe was sat in her favourite chair waiting for a cup of tea which my sister was making. SHe looked up and smiled and then she was gone, instantly. Nice for her but tough on us. She was 87 & lost dad 12 years ago, & missed him terribly every day, They adored each other.
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