Nicholas Varchaver, writing in Fortune magazine in May 2004 noted that "On June 26, 1974, Clyde Dawson pulled a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum out of his basket at Marsh's Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, and it was scanned by Sharon Buchanan at 8:01 am. The pack of gum and the receipt are now on display in the Smithsonian Institution. It was the first commercial appearance of the UPC."



He's referring to the introduction of the Universal Product Code for pricing of items but what he doesn't mention is that it replaced one of the numerous "sounds of the supermarket" that made them such a savory sensory experience in my youth.



The UPC certainly was faster and more efficient – but its introduction meant we would no longer hear the punch-punch-punch-chicka-shing! of the cashier ringing up each item on a manual register. Admit it – some of those folks were really good and watching them tear through a pile of groceries was a form of entertainment.



Barcode labels come preprinted on the packaging of items, which means we no longer hear the ka-chunk ka-chunk ka-chunk of clerks stamping prices on items in that classic purple ink, or the swoosh-click! swoosh-click! swoosh-click! of the sticky label dispenser used in some stores.



New Jersey was home to both national supermarket chains and stores that were regionally based. Names from the past that ring a bell would include big chains like A&P, Acme, Pathmark and Grand Union but also stores known more locally like Food Fair and Fairway.



Here's a look back at supermarkets all around New Jersey. Be sure to click on the captions button to read even more about some of these iconic individuals.



Coming soon: Holiday celebrations. From large parties to families rockin' around the Christmas tree. If you have any photos of holiday fun taken in New Jersey before 1985, we'd love to see them and possibly use them in a gallery or Glimpse of History. Email your jpgs to ghatala@starledger.com



We also invite you to post your comments about and your own photos of vintage supermarkets below. To insert a photo, simply click on the image icon under the writing field for instructions. Your snapshots may be used in an upcoming Throwback Thursday photo gallery on NJ.com.