SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Shopping for groceries today is not quite the adventure it once was. Over half a century ago, Utah shoppers and grocers alike were known to dress up in their very best to meander the aisles and mingle with neighbors at their local storefront.

During the mid-20th century, visits to the grocery store were one of the most formal functions of the week. Everything about grocery shopping was formal at the time, even the shelves — seen in this photo from a Salt Lake City store in 1947.

Entire grocery stores were spruced up for business, from the shoppers to the shelves. After all, there were some big deals on deck worth dressing up for.

An advertisement in the Salt Lake Tribune from 1943 highlights some of the best prices for the most popular products of the day, like 21 cents for two boxes of Wheaties and a dozen donuts for a whopping 27 cents.

Grocery stores were always not far from home, with dozens upon dozens of neighborhood locations around the state. That is until the unveiling of the very first supermarkets, bringing spacious aisles and expert service to shoppers here and around the nation. Supermarkets certainly had it all — including dreadfully long lines on occasion.

Over the decades, the grocery store experience has seen much change. However, today we can always look back to a time when we got “all dressed up to bring home the beans.”