Lost Retail Chains

[Ruchazie Rat]

The old Co-Op Hypermarket near The Kingston Bridge. I had a mate who started work in there. Worked himself up to the level of bookkeeper. The reason why it shut down, despite the fact that it was doing big business, was relenetless shoplifting. From the staff. Fridges, tv`s, cookers. You name it. Sort of cross between The Generation Game and The Bermuda Triangle. The Hypermarket staff were scattered across all the other Co-Op stores.

[Doug]

The old Co-Op Hypermarket near The Kingston Bridge. I had a mate who started work in there. Worked himself up to the level of bookkeeper. The reason why it shut down, despite the fact that it was doing big business, was relenetless shoplifting. From the staff. Fridges, tv`s, cookers. You name it. Sort of cross between The Generation Game and The Bermuda Triangle. The Hypermarket staff were scattered across all the other Co-Op stores.

In the mid 70's I was the non foods manager in the Hypermarket and looked after the stores 2 floors of non food departments. I reported directly to Martin Weir the stores general manager. I cant be sure of the level of staff theft but I most certainly remember my electrical dept manager being escorted out the store in handcuffs !! and the security officers were always busy. The problem was that this was the Co-op's first really big store and the systems in use were not up to the mark to ensure complete security. I would like to say it was a great fun place to work in but it wasn't, it was sheer hard work however I do still have some fond memories

[The Egg Man]

Back in the 80s there was allegedly an electrical good warehouse somewhere in or near Skypark.

The staff drank around Finnieston and could seemingly arrange to supply just about anything from the stock +/- delivery.

[Doug]

Back in the 80s there was allegedly an electrical good warehouse somewhere in or near Skypark.

The staff drank around Finnieston and could seemingly arrange to supply just about anything from the stock +/- delivery.

Probably run by the guy I referred to in my post !

[Bridie]

Lost Shop

Millers Arts and Crafts - 180 years old

http://www.millers-art.co.uk/

[Louis]

Lost Shop

Millers Arts and Crafts - 180 years old

http://www.millers-art.co.uk/

That's quite a shame, I used to work for them and broke the golden rule of screwing one of the crew ( later married her). I hope David and Linda Miller have mortgage insurance for that converted church on Newlands Road.

[Louis]

And on the subject of lost chains. Virgo was owned by a Victor Fields . He closed some of the stores and changed some over to become Price Invaders, these changed to just being called Fields. He sold the business and properties to PEP International , a South African discount chain, They changed all the Fields to Your More Store before finally joining the group which owns Pounstretcher and Brantano shoes.
I also see that someone mentioned Razzle Dazzle , a company started by Ken Cairnduff selling really cheap jewellery . This went on to be Internationale. The original Razzle Dazzle was at 198 Argyle Street , under central bridge. Last I passed it was still an Internationale .

[Bridie]

Lost Shop

Millers Arts and Crafts - 180 years old

http://www.millers-art.co.uk/

That's quite a shame, I used to work for them and broke the golden rule of screwing one of the crew ( later married her). I hope David and Linda Miller have mortgage insurance for that converted church on Newlands Road.

Sad it is!
I knew someone who worked as a delivery man for them on the mid seventies - driving the wee white van around the various offices supplying Letraset and other long outdated tools of graphic designers and architects.

[Ruchazie Rat]

Speaking of letraset brings something to mind about that Arts & Crafts shop. When at secondary, in the last half of the 70`s, they had the Travel Pass. Free Bus travel to and from school for pupils who qualified for it. This was a simple straight-forward brown card, very reminiscent of the Dinner School tickets of the 70`s.

Well, it wasn`t too long before the rest of us twigged that they could be easily faked. We`d borrow a real Travel Pass, go into said shop at the weekend and match up the texture and colour to the nearest A3 sheet they had. We`d then cut this into many appropriate-sized sqaures and, with a wee bit of patience and a good black bic pen, we`d draw in the basic "day of the week" squares alomg the bottom of the forged card. And finish it off with a nice little ink-pad stamper that put in the appropriate school and "week ending" date. Arts & Crafts also (very conveniently) sold these too!

When the schoolday ended, a tsunami of chancers would flood the bus and the driver would be met with a wall of hands brandishing "Travel Passes", both genuine and dodgy. Whether the driver ever twigged (but wanted the easy life) or not, no-one could say. All I remember is the buses after school all looked like jam-packed Tardises...

[RapidAssistant]

Back in the 80s there was allegedly an electrical good warehouse somewhere in or near Skypark.

The staff drank around Finnieston and could seemingly arrange to supply just about anything from the stock +/- delivery.

Probably run by the guy I referred to in my post !

Sure it wasn't the Roadline / British Road Services depot on Warroch St? I only say so because my dad used to work there as a driver in the late 70s/early 80s - they used to handle all the deliveries from the mail order catalogues. I never get bored with the stories the old man tells me of all the pilfering that went on - which was something chronic!

[Doug]

Back in the 80s there was allegedly an electrical good warehouse somewhere in or near Skypark.

The staff drank around Finnieston and could seemingly arrange to supply just about anything from the stock +/- delivery.

Probably run by the guy I referred to in my post !

Sure it wasn't the Roadline / British Road Services depot on Warroch St? I only say so because my dad used to work there as a driver in the late 70s/early 80s - they used to handle all the deliveries from the mail order catalogues. I never get bored with the stories the old man tells me of all the pilfering that went on - which was something chronic!

In those days stealing was somehow thought off as just a perk of the job rather than downright theft !!

[RapidAssistant]

Back in the 80s there was allegedly an electrical good warehouse somewhere in or near Skypark.

The staff drank around Finnieston and could seemingly arrange to supply just about anything from the stock +/- delivery.

Probably run by the guy I referred to in my post !

Sure it wasn't the Roadline / British Road Services depot on Warroch St? I only say so because my dad used to work there as a driver in the late 70s/early 80s - they used to handle all the deliveries from the mail order catalogues. I never get bored with the stories the old man tells me of all the pilfering that went on - which was something chronic!

In those days stealing was somehow thought off as just a perk of the job rather than downright theft !!

Yes well I didn't find out until I was 18 that the bed I'd been sleeping on since I was 3 had been....ahem... "acquired"

[Doug]

Thanks Rapid "Yes well I didn't find out until I was 18 that the bed I'd been sleeping on since I was 3 had been....ahem... "acquir"

Cheers mate !

[RDR]

Yes, well lots of things seemed to fall of the back of a lorry then. Where my dad was concerned it depended on what he might be delivering in any given week. Hence we had a house stacked full of San Izal toilet tissue one week and Surf the next

[calamity]

Timothy Whites chemist on Argyle st
Cable shoe shop
Richards shops
Chelsea Girl
Maceys took over when M&S moved in Argyle st for a while
Granite House
Jays furniture
Birrells
Bata shoes
Dido