High-tech innovations

from my childhood.

Polystyrene

Our roller skates were based on the Roman chariots.

Shoe post, founded in 1950, were Belgian shoe stores, well known for the rounded prices: 49, 99, 149 ... Belgian franc

Viewmaster

Manual telephone exchange

Revival of the old packaging of washing powder. With free drumsticks. We used them as drum equipment or collection boxes or robot masks ... (+101 uses)

My parents moved in 1968. Until then they had a small food store (photo 1 with sister Myriam) and then opened the first self-service supermarket (photo 2) in Belgian Limburg across the street. The very first self-service opened its doors in America as early as 1916. In 1948 Chris van Woerkom from Nijmegen had the scoop in the Netherlands. The first self-service (Delhaize) opened in Brussels 70 years ago. And at the end of the sixties, our family became owner of modern self-service. With its 200 square meters, it is gigantic and, due to the heavy new construction investment, not “fillable” either. In many shelves we did not place the products in depth - we spread the products in width so that it looked filled.

Both the old and the new store were very successful because our parents used very innovative 'marketing concepts' - read 'customer-friendly' - at the time.

+ Customer Relationship Management: they knew every customer and their current or future needs, without software.
+ Credit cards: possible deferral of payment: it was noted in a general book - the credit addicts had their own notebook.
+ 24/7: open from 7 am to 9 pm (and a bell for urgent cases)
+ Service: not satisfied - money back
+ Convenience store: stamps, neighborhood-produced products, ...
+ Mission statement: if you don't find it today, tomorrow we have it for you
+ Loyalty program: saving for loyalty stamps ... or direct discount.
+ Corporate citizenship: sponsor of local community life
+ Online: not yet by mail but by phone you called the order
+ Home delivery: ad hoc or via the order round on Friday