We use to shop at the Service Merchandise here in West Tn. a lot.....It was first a Montgomery Wards and when they went out SM moved in and stayed in business for several years. IIRC it went out of business in the mid 90's and the building has sat empty since it close.
Thinking back it was a odd way to shop......look at the items on the shelves...write the item number down on a form on a clipboard....Go pay for it and then go to the receiving belt and stand there with all the other folks like people standing and watching the monkey's at the zoo waiting for your box to come down the belt.
When they were getting ready to go out of business here they allowed folks to go in and by the stuff right off the shelves like you would at Wal Mart....the place was packed every day until they closed the doors. What a novel idea letting people pick it off the shelves and go pay for it without the 3rd step in the process.