Service Merchandise was the best

Ghost of Bisbee

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5:13p, 1/2/23

AG

The greatest prose to ever grace TexAgs:
https://texags.com/forums/5/topics/3216304/replies/59855160

YouBet

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9:23p, 1/2/23

AG

Bought my first real watch there.

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mosdefn14

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9:54p, 1/2/23

AG

That place might as well have been Niemann Marcus for me growing up. So ahead of their time, but missed the internet wave. I have a Service Merchandise diamond inherited from Grandpa in my Aggie ring.

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Buck Compton

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In reply to mosdefn14 • 12:26a, 1/3/23

AG

mosdefn14 said:
That place might as well have been Niemann Marcus for me growing up. So ahead of their time, but missed the internet wave. I have a Service Merchandise diamond inherited from Grandpa in my Aggie ring.

Actually they were even early to embrace the internet. They started generating a lot of internet sales, but the consumer's shopping patterns on large purchases hadn't fully evolved yet. They were put out of business by big box retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and circuit city. And then finally put out of their misery and swallowed up in post-9/11 panic.

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Flashdiaz

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7:30a, 1/3/23

AG

who knew combining shopping with an experience like waiting for your luggage wouldn't work out?

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Diggity

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In reply to Flashdiaz • 12:48p, 1/3/23

AG

that was actually an improvement over what was available prior.

I remember we would buy electronics at Foley's of all places.

You would order from the showroom and (if it happened to be in stock) drive to the loading dock and wait for the items to get picked from the back.

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AgCPA95

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1:02p, 1/3/23

AG

I think we would shop at a Service Merchandise somewhere around Champions area in Houston? I also remember going to Gemco in Houston as a young kid for things electronics as we got our Atari 2600 there. I guess it was like a Super Wal-Mart before its time with basically everything including groceries.

YouBet

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10:23p, 1/3/23

AG

Babbages and Walden Books were the best ever stores as a kid. Driving to Dallas to go to Babbages was an event. Would head directly to "IBM Compatible Games" section. So that dates me.

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FarmerJohn

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In reply to YouBet • 9:30a, 1/4/23

AG

Babbages plus Microprose was a costly combination for my parents.