<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Thrifty Drug Stores – Where else but a drugstore could you buy a fur coat?</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-audio"></figure>

Thrifty Drug Stores in-store announcements – circa 1947 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection

Difficult to imagine there was a time when going to a drugstore meant a whole lot more than cold pills aspirin and razors. But aside from the customary bill-of-fare, Drug Stores were places you could buy jewelry, cigarettes, a fur coat, even a three course dinner. The corner drug store, that place run by the kindly-yet-detached pharmacist who routinely filled prescriptions and sold the occasional pack of gum was slowly evolving into a cultural landmark.

Going back to the 1920s and continuing all the way up until only a few years ago, the Drug Store became one of those all-things-to-all-people places you could get a cure and a hangover at the same time.

In 1947, around the time this series of recordings came out, the Drug Store shed its quaint veneer and adopted a hard sell with the goal of getting the shopper to stay and spend money.

Not to be confused with the Dime Store which catered to devotees of nick-nacks, doo-dads and household cleaning supplies, The Drug Store specialized in things catering to the human body.

For the next 15 minutes or so, I’ve strung together a series of in-store announcements, routinely played throughout the day over the store Public Address system. These announcements were like little commercials, minus the catchy phrases and musical flourishes. It was straight hard sell whose main purpose was get you to stick around and buy things on sale.

Thrifty Drug Stores were one of the big chains operating throughout the West Coast – along with Rexall and later, Sav-on. Rexall was famous for its “one-cent sale” – Thrifty was famous for having just about everything crammed under one roof, from Fur Coats and Champagne to an entire three course meal for 89 cents (the mind fairly reels what you got for 89 cents, although 89 cents bought a lot more in 1947 than it does in 2025, lets don’t forget).

Still, the in-house pitches were relentless and it’s no wonder the original discs these announcement came on are virtually destroyed – just from constant playing.

The quirky and benign Drugstore has given way to the conglomerate convenience emporium – with Pharmacists stuffed in the back, doling out advice, shots and controlled substances. Gone are the Fur Coats, three course dinners and cheap champagne. We’ve come a long way from creature comforts to bare-bones efficiency.

As you’ll notice, in 1947 it was a bit different.

Apologies for the questionable sound – but given the workload these babies went through . . .

The post The Mid-Century Drugstore Experience – 1947 – Past Daily Weekend Gallimaufry appeared first on Past Daily: A Sound Archive of News, History And Music.