Wow, did this bring back the memories! Dad was a store manager until 1971, when I was 12 years old. I remember those Christmas records. In those days, if it didn't come from Grant's we didn't have it! Got that sweet 10% employee family discount. We moved every 2-3 years in the 60s...they'd move dad to a store that was failing, and he would get it on a profitable footing, and then move him to the next one. I remember him talking a lot about credit at the dinner table, but never paid much attention. They always promised dad the big pay-off at the end...a brand-new Grant City, his pick of which one he wanted! He was smart enough to see what was happening, and got out before the bottom drooped out.
I just recently saw a couple of those Grant's Christmas albums in a Goodwill and it got me to looking up the other ones online! The one that was built in San Jose CA came to the party pretty late in the early 70s because by then the suburbs had their pretty established favorite places and the location near us was in the large lot next to a Gemco and just down the road from another strip mall with a Woolworths and other stores. Ours always smelled like hotdogs and we would beg our mom to let us get a snack but were always told a big "NO!", because the store was less than a 7 minute drive from our house and "we have food at home!" Haha!
I remember the embroidery pattern on the dinner plates at Bradford House restaurants. Even then I thought it was hokey. The demise of Grants is a sad story. I miss Grants and the sort of place our country was in Grants heyday.
My girlfriend worked at a W.T. Grant store in Parsippany, NJ in 1970. She made duplicate keys for customers among her other duties. It was a ‘key’ position within the company.
In my town, we had a Grants, an HL Green, and a Woolworths, all within spitting distance of each other. Loved going to all of them, but eating at the HL Green's lunch counter is the best memory of these places.
I grew up in a small town in MA. The next town over was small, but had a "downtown" area for shopping. On one street there was Woolworth's and on another street, there was Grant's. You could go out the back door of each store and walk through the parking lot to enter the other store. I don't remember a restaurant in either store. Rutland, VT had both stores. That Woolworth's had a counter. Grant's may have had a restaurant that was in the store, but separated from the store.
When I see today in malls, lines a mile long to see Santa Claus at Christmas time, I remember as a kid in the early 70s sitting on Santa's lap in the restaurant at Grants. No lines.
I worked at a Grant store for about 6 months in the 1970s. In the office where I had to sell people the credit cards and plans when I didn’t believe in them. They were opening accounts for everyone regardless of their financial situation. I was also told to lie for the boss if he didn’t want to talk to someone on the phone. I hated that job because it was against my moral values. I’m not sorry that they were not around anymore.
I worked for WT Grants back in the early 70’s as a waitress in the Bradford house and I still have my uniform!
You showed the main W.T. Grant Store in Pittsburgh which later became a Saks fifth Avenue before it was torn down. I remember it quite well.
Wow, did this bring back the memories! Dad was a store manager until 1971, when I was 12 years old. I remember those Christmas records. In those days, if it didn't come from Grant's we didn't have it! Got that sweet 10% employee family discount. We moved every 2-3 years in the 60s...they'd move dad to a store that was failing, and he would get it on a profitable footing, and then move him to the next one. I remember him talking a lot about credit at the dinner table, but never paid much attention. They always promised dad the big pay-off at the end...a brand-new Grant City, his pick of which one he wanted! He was smart enough to see what was happening, and got out before the bottom drooped out.
My dad was also a manager from 1962-1976. I too remember the Christmas albums. He was running a Grants City in Florida when they went bankrupt.
Dad had another deal lined up when he left Grant's, so it was a smooth transition. Luckily, he had the foresight to see what was coming.
I remember shopping in a W.T Grant store with .my mother in Montgomery, Alabama in the very early 1960's.
I just recently saw a couple of those Grant's Christmas albums in a Goodwill and it got me to looking up the other ones online! The one that was built in San Jose CA came to the party pretty late in the early 70s because by then the suburbs had their pretty established favorite places and the location near us was in the large lot next to a Gemco and just down the road from another strip mall with a Woolworths and other stores. Ours always smelled like hotdogs and we would beg our mom to let us get a snack but were always told a big "NO!", because the store was less than a 7 minute drive from our house and "we have food at home!" Haha!
I remember the embroidery pattern on the dinner plates at Bradford House restaurants. Even then I thought it was hokey. The demise of Grants is a sad story. I miss Grants and the sort of place our country was in Grants heyday.
I vaguely remember that they had a huge one in Chalmette, LA. It had 2 entrances and a huge parking lot out front.
My girlfriend worked at a W.T. Grant store in Parsippany, NJ in 1970. She made duplicate keys for customers among her other duties. It was a ‘key’ position within the company.
In my town, we had a Grants, an HL Green, and a Woolworths, all within spitting distance of each other.
Loved going to all of them, but eating at the HL Green's lunch counter is the best memory of these places.
i worked at WT Grant in Clark NJ from Sept 1972 (I was 16) till it closed in March of 1976
loved my part-time job there!
I grew up in a small town in MA. The next town over was small, but had a "downtown" area for shopping. On one street there was Woolworth's and on another street, there was Grant's. You could go out the back door of each store and walk through the parking lot to enter the other store. I don't remember a restaurant in either store. Rutland, VT had both stores. That Woolworth's had a counter. Grant's may have had a restaurant that was in the store, but separated from the store.
Shopped frequently at the Grants in Clark, New Jersey.
I remember the grants in marion Indiana it was a big store I remember they had pay toilet
We had one in graint city ill
When I see today in malls, lines a mile long to see Santa Claus at Christmas time, I remember as a kid in the early 70s sitting on Santa's lap in the restaurant at Grants. No lines.
I worked at a Grant store for about 6 months in the 1970s. In the office where I had to sell people the credit cards and plans when I didn’t believe in them. They were opening accounts for everyone regardless of their financial situation. I was also told to lie for the boss if he didn’t want to talk to someone on the phone. I hated that job because it was against my moral values. I’m not sorry that they were not around anymore.
TFS
People make things happen, not business plans
Bad Executive Management
Grant was biased against women having a greater position than men, in upper management.