The Mom Chronicles: Shaker Market

Wondering what to order from Shaker Market

In 2022, I wrote a birthday tribute to my late mother that sought to compile her many indulgences and violations of traditional domestic norms. As what would be her 88th birthday approaches on November 12th, it is time for another look.

I tried to be encyclopedic in my 2022 encomium, but as time elapsed, I realized I had endless memories to pick from and was missing a significant chapter about her many shopping habits.

Shaker Market was a dinky, to most, dispensable corner store about three minutes by car from our home on South Woodland Road. What it lacked in cleanliness and breadth, it made up for in convenience. Mom had them on speed dial.

For true grocery shopping, one would go to Giunta’s Stop & Shop, which was only 10 minutes away, or Heinen’s, 15 minutes away, But Shaker Market filled a niche and appealed to my entire family’s lazy streak.

We had a house charge at Shaker Market, and the bills rivaled the ones from Oakwood Club that came during the summer. Since childhood, Mom was a fan of signing now and paying later and did not worry much about who was footing the bills.

Shaker Market also delivered. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this, as Mom treated the place as an extension of her pantry and had them on speed dial for restocking needs up to five times a day.

If Mom was about to have breakfast and needed orange juice, she called Shaker Market and had them deliver a bottle. They had no minimum. If it was 4 pm and she had not planned dinner, she rang them up to deliver a few steaks.

The ultimate Shaker Market customer service experience happened when a light went out in one of our ceiling fixtures. Mom called the market, had a single flood lamp delivered, and proceeded to ask the delivery person to install it.

Never mind that her more-than-capable kids were in the room with the expired bulb. We were busy watching TV, and Mom was used to appropriating anyone and everyone as her personal assistant. The girl, barely old enough to drive, got on a ladder while we lollygagged in front of the tube.

Mom had a similar arrangement with Campus Drug Store, which was a bit farther down the road in the opposite direction from Shaker Market. We had a house charge, and they delivered medicines, Milky Way bars, and other miscellanea to our home.

Unsurprisingly, Shaker Market went out of business in the ’90s.

Mom did not live to experience DoorDash, which I am guilty of using for my own grocery shopping multiple times a week. Like my mom, I do not like going to the grocery store and come by my delivery dependency honestly.

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