Saers - was Amazon by catalog before the internet-
“Satisfaction guranteed or your money back”
Painted on the glass above the front entrance.
Lifetime warranty on tools. Busted? bring it in and get another.
Rock solid electric tools. Still have some. 40+ years old
Indestructible appliances, and a entire parts department so you wanted to fix it yourself if something went wrong.
New black top Jeepers every year for Basketball Season.
Car care, boats, motors and fishing gear, bluejeans called em “dungarees” back then, everything.
And Woolworths had what they didn’t, including Budgies, Ice Cream sundaes and fabric by the bolt.
Oh yea.
Woolworth’s had yarn and sewing patterns and tools, too.
When you heard the brand names Kenmore and Craftsman, quality first came to mind.
I think the generation that built those great icons passed away, and was replaced by a generation that was inferior to its predecessors. Its sharp American instincts and values were first undermined, then corrupted, and finally obliterated. The new generation acquired a different set of skills and values, and because of that either could not or would not assume guardianship of these old icons, and turned its attention to newer ventures.
Their old Kenmore sewing machines are still running like new with just a bit of lubricant.
I know, I service them along with the fancy new computers that sew.
The old metal machines will still be around long after the plastic fancy things are gone.