International Stores was noted as “The Biggest Grocers in the World”. During the war they were able to stay in business by employing ‘lady grocers’ – they used local newspapers to advertise this, like this one that appeared in the Bromley & District Times in February 1917:
“Nearly 2000 of our men are in the Army, but we have an able and willing staff of lady grocers to attend to you”
Women were essential workers during the war, but after the war they were expected to give up their jobs
