Who remembers... Hillards supermarket in York?

This image of Hillards in Hull Road prompted an outpouring of memories from former employees and customers.

So we've gone back into our library to find a few more.

The shop opened in 1969 and was one of the first to trade under the Hillards name, with the company's other branches having operated under the names Lion Supermarket or Lion Stores.

It was in a building that had been built as an engineering works in 1908, but which was later used as a print works.

When the store opened in autumn 1969, the company paid for a six-page advertising pull-out in the then Yorkshire Evening Press.

The building was described as having once been "probably the ugliest building in York", but the company said the new store was "functional and pleasing in appearance".

That 1969 feature, and a similar advertising feature a year later, provide a few interesting photographs and snippets.

The article above boasted "10,000 items in the food displays", and declared: "People travel from a radius of 15 miles to shop at this ultra-modern comprehensively stocked supermarket, where the policy is top quality branded goods at the lowest possible prices".

The shop was, they claimed, "a veritable Aladdin's cave for the modern housewife and her family". Seemingly it was assumed all shoppers would be female. The same article continues: "As the shopper makes her way about the store, she cannot help but be aware of and greatly impressed by the standard of cleanliness and hygiene that has been achieved".

Note also the advert on the right: "Children revel in geebee soft drinks".

A couple of bottles of geebee can be seen on the left, in this 1983 photo of a "shopping spree" competition winner.

The clippings below are from the 1969 and 1970 advertising features. 

That article above promotes the shop's drink selection - including its "psychologically cheering" red wines and port.

The shop was bought by Tesco in 1987 despite a campaign to stave off the bid:

It was then sold again in 1988 to Jackson's, who ran it as Grandway, and was subsequently owned by Kwik Save then Somerfield. The shop has since been demolished and replaced with the new building that houses the Co-op in Hull Road.