Every neighborhood used to have a corner store. Most of them gradually disappeared as supermarkets proliferated and trading hours were extended.
In South Australia, they suffered at the hands of 24-hour service stations, which double as mini supermarkets because of the state’s shop-trading laws.
It’s hard to be sure, but I’ve noticed a resurgence of sorts. Don’t know if this can be sustained, but it’s interesting that some local stores have reinvented themselves or had a makeover to attract business.
The scent of decay was certainly a turn-off when it came to entering some of these relics.
The Terrace Continental Deli on the corner of Victoria and Gladstone Streets in Mile End has a fresh coat of paint, new signage and some outdoor tables, which appear to be popular and well utilised.
Good luck to them.
I remember being sent to local “milk bars” as a kid to buy cigarettes, a quart of milk or half a pound of butter.
They were convenience stores before that term evolved to mean what it does today.
- Some new pictures have been added to my Mile End series, including the one above.
×0
