The Way Home

Gabby Peyton stands in front of a home on Merrymeeting Road in St. John's that was once Coady's Store. (Mike Moore/CBC).

John's miss the shopkeepers and their families as much as they miss having easy access to that carton of milk. We had keys to some houses, and we would unpack the groceries, leave them on the kitchen table, put perishables in the fridge and bring the boxes back to the store." The family-run grocery store gave way to the convenience store, a spot to grab chips, lotto and beers. Duff's Supermarket opened in the early 1930s on the corner of Casey and Monroe. Even though the term "supermarket" first appeared in the shopping vernacular in the United States as early as 1931, it wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that St. The family's supermarket on the corner of Freshwater Road and Empire Avenue operated from 1956 to 1972: "Our family actually lived in an apartment on top of the supermarket," says Duff. John's; that is, you could take a shopping cart and go up and down the aisles selecting your own groceries instead of going to the main counter," said Cathy Jackman. But a large part of their income came from regular customers who phoned in their family orders every week, and my dad would deliver the groceries to them," explains Buccongello. It was in the 1920s and 1930s that St. Heading into the 20th century, as the number of imports increased so did the retail trades selling dry goods, millinery and furniture in downtown St. By the middle of the 19th century as St. In the end, I called my husband, who had our vehicle that day, and asked him to grab some milk on the way home.