This time of year usually brings back even stronger memories of classic department and discount stores.
I always learn something new when researching these galleries. This time, I discovered I have been using the term "department store" improperly my whole life.
According to "City People: The Rise of Modern City Culture in Nineteenth-Century America" by Gunther Barth, a department store is a "retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different product categories known as 'departments.' And those 'departments' would be self-contained areas instead of a the next row of racks on a large sales floor."
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
But, I was clued in to an easier way to distinguish a department store from a discount store ... in department stores such as Macy's and Lord & Taylor, you don't push a shopping cart.
Regardless if you shopped where the lighting was bright and the carts were plentiful or if you were a "client" at a store where purchases were wrapped in tissue paper before being placed in heavy-stock bags with corded handles, these stores bring back memories for most of us.
Opening night for Two Guys in Vineland, 1966; I distinctly believe that I was there. And, this time of year usually brings back even stronger memories of them. Looking through catalogs and sale folders to decide what to ask for, shopping for holiday gifts, visiting Santa and taking in the seasonal decorations - the yuletide season made trips to the store even better. For my fellow Vinelanders, how many of you recall Foss on Delsea Drive and their 8-cent toys? Mom gave you a quarter and you could buy three things!
Anyway, this gallery will include vintage photos of department stores and discount stores. Look for the aforementioned Macy's as well as stores like John Wanamaker, Strawbridge and Clothier and Hahne's as well as those that were more what I grew up with ... Two Guys, Bradlees, Sears and Kress. Be sure to click on the captions button to read more about these classic photos.
Can't get enough? Here's a link to last year's gallery.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.