JCPenny had an automotive repair section at one time. They sold batteries with a lifetime free replacement warranty. My brother had a Karmen Ghia and bought a battery in the early 1970"s Around 1972. Pennys sold the auto repair division to Goodyear and goodyear was obligated to honor the lifetime warranty. He sold the Ghia around 2012 and never paid for a new battery. Goodyear did everything they could to try to avoid the free replacement, but my brother had the reciept and the warranty.
as newly weds and just starting out JCP and Wards were the first places to offer us credit. My very first purchase was a 19"tv. It lasted many years and was working when we donated it to another young couple.
I still have my JCP 1/4" ratchet, but years ago (after they stopped selling tools), I did manage to break my JCP 3/8" drive breaker bar. UticaGeoff
National Auto - not sure if it was a regional chain. Used to be one next to where I worked. UticaGeoff
We still have JC Penny's (and a Western Auto). JC Penny's is mostly just a cloths store now and Western Auto mostly just sells tires and fixes cars. The wife loves to shop at JC Penny's but she really misses K-Mart (if there are any of those still around). We used to buy all our furniture at Montgomery Ward. I was restoring an antique bed (bought back in the 1910s by my grand parents... they got married the same year the Titanic sunk) a few years ago and there was stamp on the bottom that said "Montgomery Ward."
JC Penneys was great back in the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s. Back in 1980, JC Penney’s was closing the downtown Greenville, SC store to move it to the new mall in the suburbs. Everything in the store was marked down to try to sell as much as they could before the move. I went to the sporting goods department one day at lunch and found 8mm Mauser ammo for 99 cents for a 20 round box! I bought all they had because I had recently pick up a WWII Mauser and needed ammo. I remember riding the elevator back to my office with 2-300 rounds of ammo in my arms.
I brought my first shotgun from western auto when I was in school; put on layaway, worked and paid for it myself . I still have it, took it Turkey hunting this past season.
My Mama bought my Keds shoes and other clothes at JC Penney. The Penneys near us also had sold tires , alignments , brake jobs , tune ups , and so on. Across the parking lot was the Sears Auto service center.
I remember at 17 years old my Dad sent me in his Dodge D100 truck to Western Auto for a set of tires and alignment.
You want to feel old, try to explain why there was a thing such as "S&H Green Stamps to somebody under 30
I used to go to the corner grocery and buy the cigarettes for my mom, when I was in 6th grade. Yup, I'm that old.
