The Personal Touch

Where has it gone? I miss it terribly! When I was growing up, there were no department stores. There were small stores along the nearby shopping avenue mixed in with various food stores. Jean’s Dress Store sold fancy dresses for all ages and all occasions. Next to it was another store that sold everyday clothing – for women, men and children. You could find jackets, shoes, slacks, dresses and shirts among the large inventory of clothing. Of course Woolworth’s was treasured! All these stores and others not mentioned had very friendly, courteous sales help that made every sale very personal. They asked you what you were looking for, helped you find it, and even made special orders for you. Then along came the early department stores. Service in Macy’s, Sears Roebuck and Gimbels started out with a very personal touch. It has slowly disappeared through the years. Now when you go into K-Mart or other department stores, you hardly ever find anyone to wait on you. You have to browse around yourself, and many times leave the store frustrated without buying anything. What a waste of time! The End