Service Merchandise

[powersbt]

Originally posted by Caldor1999

Originally posted by XISMZERO
Service Merchandise was always a lousy store seemingly suffering for a long time. I remember two of them in the Connecticut area -- one in the Toys "R" Us/former Caldor plaza (now a Raymour & Flanigan) and one in Manchester, Connecticut in the Buckland Pavilions Plaza (now a Big Lots I think).

Always thought of it was a step lower than everyone else and I heard it was a secondary store for Sears -- stuff they really couldn't push.

they sucked near the end because they stoped selling alot of stuff/ discontuning it so i kida get what your saying and i personlay tghink servicer merchandise was a hell of alot better then anything sears ever sold no there one step below things now too

I don't know. It is very tough to beat Sears' Craftsman toolline. I like the fact that I can buy a wrench there, break it, and go get another one for as long as I own that wrench.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by powersbt

Originally posted by Caldor1999

Originally posted by XISMZERO
Service Merchandise was always a lousy store seemingly suffering for a long time. I remember two of them in the Connecticut area -- one in the Toys "R" Us/former Caldor plaza (now a Raymour & Flanigan) and one in Manchester, Connecticut in the Buckland Pavilions Plaza (now a Big Lots I think).

Always thought of it was a step lower than everyone else and I heard it was a secondary store for Sears -- stuff they really couldn't push.

they sucked near the end because they stoped selling alot of stuff/ discontuning it so i kida get what your saying and i personlay tghink servicer merchandise was a hell of alot better then anything sears ever sold no there one step below things now too

I don't know. It is very tough to beat Sears' Craftsman toolline. I like the fact that I can buy a wrench there, break it, and go get another one for as long as I own that wrench.

serice merchandise focused more on jewilrey and such they also sold toys something that sears dosent do any momre in there stores also i thought things were priced better at service emrchandise and sears but any way its kida dumb to think that there simaler when they were to diffrent stores

[XISMZERO]

I'm pretty sure the Service Merchandise, as I remember it, was kind of like a lower class Lechmere. They just everything clearanced and cleared out from other stores (kind of like a Big Lots/close-out chain store).

I correct myself: the one in Newington is in fact a Stickey & Audi Co. and the building was remodeled quite nicely. It sits in the rear of the skeletal albeit infamous abandoned Caldor Newington Fair plaza.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by XISMZERO
I'm pretty sure the Service Merchandise, as I remember it, was kind of like a lower class Lechmere. They just everything clearanced and cleared out from other stores (kind of like a Big Lots/close-out chain store).

I correct myself: the one in Newington is in fact a Stickey & Audi Co. and the building was remodeled quite nicely. It sits in the rear of the skeletal albeit infamous abandoned Caldor Newington Fair plaza.

service emrchandise was nothing like big lots lol they sold jewley and they hd a catlog kida loke Sears Macys and JC Penny had it was like  a dept store almost but they dident sell clouths they sold stuff for yourliveing room like furnture lamps they had kitchen stuf like tosters ect they sold toys table tools they were cheeper then jc penny  sears and such just - the clouthing line

[beachgal26]

I had shopped at the stores for quite a long time and they carried high quality items during the 1970's and 1980's.  It was a great place to buy wedding gifts and they had a great variety of jewelry, toys, baby items, cameras, luggage, etc.  

It wasn't until everyone started getting hit hard by Wal-Mart's low, low prices that their quality began to suffer.  Then the stores started carrying less and less of a variety of high quality items and some stores even cut their floor space and just jammed what they had left toward the front of the store.   That just gave it a sad and depressing feeling and it was sometime in the late 1990's that the stores in Memphis began to close until they were all gone.

The good news is that you can shop them on-line, but it will never be as much fun to fill out your order and wait for it to come off the rolling conveyor belt at the back of the store!

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by beachgal26
I had shopped at the stores for quite a long time and they carried high quality items during the 1970's and 1980's.  It was a great place to buy wedding gifts and they had a great variety of jewelry, toys, baby items, cameras, luggage, etc.  

It wasn't until everyone started getting hit hard by Wal-Mart's low, low prices that their quality began to suffer.  Then the stores started carrying less and less of a variety of high quality items and some stores even cut their floor space and just jammed what they had left toward the front of the store.   That just gave it a sad and depressing feeling and it was sometime in the late 1990's that the stores in Memphis began to close until they were all gone.

The good news is that you can shop them on-line, but it will never be as much fun to fill out your order and wait for it to come off the rolling conveyor belt at the back of the store!

i miss teh whole convare belt thing the one at the jefferson vally mall had that it was one of the many that closed in 1999
hears whats left of the old sm when it raions u can see teh lable scar im gonna go back someitmes to get a pic of it part of it was turned into a H&M

[Caldor1999]

hears teh fomer service merchandise in pramus nj i was sooo mad to see what it is now its now a modeells and a home goods:mad:

[Caldor1999]

hears anoutehr pic of sm

[ameskmart1]

Orlando, FL

[beachgal26]

I used to live in Orlando in the mid-80's and wondered which location this was an aerial shot of.  The store we shopped at the most was located right near Florida Mall and was a great place to shop!

[Caldor1999]

hears more of teh south hills location

[Caldor1999]

he3ars a vidoe of a service merchandise gob sale i found on youtube

[d_fife]

as of march 4, 2006, here is what is in the service merchandise in south portland maine. now guitar center

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
as of march 4, 2006, here is what is in the service merchandise in south portland maine. now guitar center

more service m in south portland

[Caldor1999]

wiow sucks to see what it turned into hears a vacant one out in AZ

[d_fife]

here is the vacant one in auburn maine as of march 4, 2006. it closed in the spring 1999 round

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
here is the vacant one in auburn maine as of march 4, 2006. it closed in the spring 1999 round

more vacant auburn

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife

Originally posted by d_fife
here is the vacant one in auburn maine as of march 4, 2006. it closed in the spring 1999 round

more vacant auburn

what is now the bangor store. surprising the bangor one closed in the spring 1999 round.,

[Caldor1999]

hears one that clsoed in 2002 and is now gonna be a wal mart super center

[d_fife]

the gary's furniture here is the former service merchandise building in PRESQUE ISLE MAINE. it is on rt. 1 in downtown. it closed early 1994 and it claimed the closing was due to the economy. this one opened 1980 adn the one in bangor opened 1980.

[amesman]

Here's the Service Merchandise in the South Hills Mall in Poughkeepsie, as documented in past posts.

[amesman]

Cart corral I found in the parking lot :)

[amesman]

Inside shot.

[amesman]

Interior labelscar. In my opinion, the SM is the best part of South Hills Mall, just because of the fact its so opened up.

[store215]

That store is very moden! It was either heavily remodeled before the chain closed or was a newer store...plus my ShopRite uses the same cart corrals

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by amesman
Interior labelscar. In my opinion, the SM is the best part of South Hills Mall, just because of the fact its so opened up.

nice pics when did u take them cause i donr rememebr seeing sm cart thingys there

[Caldor1999]

hears a fromer service merchandise in north Carolina

[Caldor1999]

and hears teh old logo most stores had this one back in the 70's and early 80's some stores just had teh logo with out the dimond

[d_fife]

here is what was the service merchandise in manchester CT in the buckland hills plaza.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by d_fife
here is what was the service merchandise in manchester CT in the buckland hills plaza.

more manchester Ct