During the 1980s, stores carried adult items. Really, adult, not stupid toys.

The grocery store actually stocked their shelves with apothecary jars, made from glass; the grocer also kept a nice stock of 100% cotton tea towels and dish rags - white ones too.  And yeah, they had nice candles.  They also carried brooms made from genuine straw; the sponge mops were actual sponge (ya know, from the sea), the dry mops were made from cotton.  In addition, if you needed an iron, a coffeepot, or a toaster - and if they were out, all you had to do was go next door, to either the drug store, or - if desperate enough - the five and dime.  Granted, the poor-store wouldn't carry the fancy curtain rods, but you weren't needing fancy.  They did just fine.  The pyrex bowls were nice; they came with lids, not of plastic, but the same pyrex glass.  You could even buy a non-coated skillet.

Though not on your list, you'd remembered, needing some sewing needles, and a spool of green thread; no they didn't have the exact shade you'd wanted, but hey, the shade was okay to attach the button on that walking-around coat - made from cloth, imagine that :/  Btw, two or more of the area's fabric stores, weren't but a few miles, but you'd been pressed for time.  And yeah, these items were marked up, more than bread or bactine, but isn't it amazing how clean living - regardless of the decade - creates it's own financial margin.

Looking back, it was as if stores were focused upon adults who were focused upon home and family life.  But of course, back then, there were more housewives - women who didn't have their own car, so running half ragged all the way over to ... wherever, for a freaking pastry fork, wasn't happening.  Housewives, being dependent on their husband's income, didn't have much money either, so these customers had to be smart, buy things that would last.

Thing was, local stores didn't have the floor space, like the semi/big-boxes of today.  Much of which is hogged up with items, which will very soon, end up in the landfill - probably not long after the credit card bill arrives.  And by the way, food items keep better in glass - which is probably why plastic is being pushed. 

Reprobates be reprobates :/