Cash and Carry marked birth of our modern supermarket

On February 21, 1921, 21-year-old Claude Archibald Fraser opened a grocery store in Brisbane City’s Queen Street.

It was called Brisbane Cash and Carry (BCC) and, like other stores at the time, it featured a range of grocery items, generous discounts and attractive window displays.

But it had one significant difference: customers were able to ‘serve’ themselves. The concept, which may seem simple today, was a revelation to Australian consumers.

Shoppers were presented with rows of clean, open shelves stocked with goods, allowing them to pick items themselves, place them in their baskets, and unload them at the counter where the shop assistant would tally the total in their head, with payment made in cash.

Price tags were displayed above each item, enabling shoppers to easily compare prices and spot specials.

Dry goods – previously sold in bulk  or dispensed by staff – were now pre-packaged in clear cellophane, letting consumers see the products and choose larger or smaller quantities. The experience was faster, more affordable and became immensely popular.

To handle the growing customer base, Mr Fraser opened a larger premises on Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, followed by the opening of a store on George Street, Brisbane City, in 1926.

As the business expanded – 17 stores by 1939, Mr Fraser introduced a range of innovations entirely new to Australia.

These included:

• having one checkout staff member complete the entire transaction with a customer
• shopping trolleys, which at that time were called trolley gliders
• self-service refrigerated cabinets and a deli counter
• multiple checkouts, fluorescent lighting, public address systems and glass store frontages.

These days, it is hard to imagine trolleys and multiple cash registers were something to marvel at, but they were an entirely new concept to Australia.

Mr Fraser’s sharp business acumen and impeccable decision making  ensured it would take nearly 25 years before a true self-service competitor could emerge. Thankfully, he was a  meticulous documenter.

A rich time-capsule of this extraordinary Queensland business – and its impact on mid-century life in the Sunshine State – is now stored at State Library of Queensland.

Included are papers, home movies  and photographs of Mr Fraser’s groundbreaking achievements. Most notable is the crisp colour film that captures in detail the store interiors and street landscapes, particularly the astonishing crowds that would gather at the opening of each new premises.

Openings were events that would invariably feature brass bands, banners, showbags and the type of excitement  we would associate with Boxing Day sales today.

 To view the Claude Fraser Archive, and search thousands of other fascinating time capsules of Queensland history, visit onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au