Convenience Stores in the 50s

This photograph is of an actual convenience store on Concord Road in Beaumont. I could ride my bike to get there.

These were open to the air. Overhead doors were pulled down to ‘close’ the business between 11PM and 7AM. On the left in this photo is the magazine rack that also held comics. I spent a fortune at a nickel or a dime per comic: superman, little lulu, archie and on a series of more serious comics that told about real events and places. Amazingly the hershey bars were not liquid even in Beaumont’s heat.

My parents hated to spend money in convenience stores because the prices were much higher than in a supermarket. Roughly twice for a jug of milk or a loaf of bread, but they were open on Saturdays and Sundays and at night.

There was always a tube tester to test vacuum tubes from the TV. And the convenience store was open at night when the TV went out so it was the destination of choice to get Lucy back on the air.