Autumn Years Spring 2023

(although then, shoppers were given a bag). The modern supermarket was emerg ing, but the title of “First supermarket in America” is debated. In 1930, King Kullen opened in Jamaica, Queens. The chain claims to be the first supermar ket, citing on its website a quote from a Smithsonian Institution staff member who said it was “the first to fulfill all five criteria that define the modern super market: separate departments; self-ser vice; discount pricing; chain marketing; and volume dealing.” It surely had vol ume dealing; its first stores were larger than the average grocery store of its day.

housewares, paints, clothing, drugs, sta tionery items, auto supplies, appliances, plumbing and electric supplies and more. It had 22 departments, a lunch counter and a barber shop. The parking lot cov ered over 10 acres. Dorothy Johansen, who was born and raised in Hackensack, remembers the opening of Harper’s and her mother saying, “I got two Harper’s bags full of groceries for $5.” Five months after Harper’s opened, it was sold to Frank W. Packard and Edgar S. Bamberger. They continued to operate the store with few changes from Harper’s original idea. Around 1947, Packard bought out Bamberger’s interest, and the store became known as Packard’s. Frank Packard, according to The New York Times , successfully intro duced prepackaged meat.

chain started offering fresh meat (the chain rolled out that feature slowly; it came to three local stores in 1928). The A&P company described those stores as a “combination market.” A&P stores were small, and they were as prolific as today’s Starbucks; its motto was “Just around the corner from everybody.” By 1933, there were A&P stores in at least 24 Bergen County communities.

A NEW WAY TO SHOP

n 1916, the clerk-behind-the counter model was shattered by a store in Memphis, Tennes

see, called Piggly Wiggly. In that store, self-service grocery shopping was born. Shoppers could choose from among 660 items and multiple brands. Prices were clearly marked, and the store provided wooden baskets to ease shopping. Self-service stores began to be known as “groceterias,” since they were remi niscent of the cafeteria-style eateries that were gaining popularity at the time. On June 10, 1921, a chain store copying Pig gly Wiggly—called Groceteria—opened a store in Hackensack. The shocking novelty of such shopping was reported

BERGEN’S FIRST SUPERSTORE

n May 19, 1933, nearly 20,000 people attended the opening of “the world’s largest mar ket.” Called Harper’s, it was in Hack

ensack and was a former wallpaper factory. The four-story building and complex was larger than today’s big-box stores. With 120 em ployees, the store was said to accommodate 4,500 shoppers. It was the county’s first su perstore, about the size of today’s Teterboro Walmart. Not only was

in The Record newspaper. The article went into great detail about the marvel of grabbing a basket, seeing prices for items, pulling them off the shelf and going to a register for checkout. The de scription is virtually the same as what we have come to know as shopping

Harper’s a full service grocery supermarket; it sold furniture,

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SPRING 2023 I AUTUMN YEARS