When the corner shop was the heart of every Aussie community

In the days before shopping centres that stretch for kilometres and cater to every consumer need, families across Australia relied on the local corner store for their day-to-day needs, only venturing to the city, and a department store, for big purchases.

But the corner-shop experience was about so much fore than just buying a few groceries. 

There were no self-serve checkouts, so you were usually greeted by a familiar face when you popped in to grab a some milk or a loaf of bread. These stores were convenient in every sense of the word and store owners were happy to help with anything you needed. 

Your parents could hand you some money and trust that you’d come home with exactly what they asked for. The shop-keepers knew your usual order and would weigh and cut products to suit your needs, ready for you to carry home to mum.

And of course, if you were a kid, one of the best parts of a trip to the corner store was the endless possibilities when it came to yummy treats. Who could forget the mixed biscuits in big tins? Cobbers, Choo Choo bars and all the other lollies that were on offer? A cent or two could buy you plenty!

You could spend what seemed like deciding which sweet treats from the massive jars you wanted. No wonder it was the place kids went whenever they earned their pocket money or were given some loose change from a family member.

Read more: Why I miss the old corner store

On hot summer days, there were plenty of ice-creams and ice-blocks available for all ages – and not just kids enjoyed them! Who could forget Golden Gaytimes, Choc Burgers, Tofee Crunch or Heart ice-creams? If fruity flavours were your thing, Hawaiian Delight, Splice, Sunnyboys and Snow Fruits were the way to go.

It’s only Monday morning but take your pick pic.twitter.com/cgRbFhMYDp

— Old Shops Australia – now at Bluesky (@oldshopsoz) April 23, 2018

Of course, now some of the treats on offer are no more. Remember Riviera’s Fags? The thin white sticks with red tips resembled cigarettes, but tasted like musk. They’re now called Fads and Fun Sticks because everyone became concerned the snacks were promoting smoking in children. Arnott’s Golliwog chocolate-flavoured biscuits were also controversial. They were originally renamed Scalliwags because the term Golliwog was deemed racist, but they’re no longer on sale at all.

Read more: What was your favourite treat from the corner store?

Of course, that’s far from all the corner store offered. There was often a small milk bar ready to whip up milkshakes, as well as a phone, which got plenty of use since many homes didn’t have one in the years the corner store was the centre of the community. And the corner store would often provide groceries ‘on tick’ for locals who couldn’t pay their entire bill all at once.

These days, corner stores as we remember them are quite rare. In many suburbs, they’ve been replaced with 24/7 convenient stores that don’t have the same charm or feel, or demolished completely to make way for massive supermarkets.

What was your favourite thing about your local corner store? What item do you wish was still available to buy?