Rein's house, Brahenkatu street 11, Brahe Training Center/Beauty Care, window facing Brahenkatu street
The Raahenseutu cooperative was founded on November 22, 1916. The property at Brahenkatu street 11 was purchased from merchant Mustonen to serve as the cooperative's premises. In 1921, the building came into the cooperative's full use.
The founding meeting of the Raahenseutu cooperative was held on November 22, 1916. At the meeting, it was decided to purchase the property at Brahenkatu street 11, offered by merchant Jaakko Mustonen (1859–1921), which Mustonen had bought from Johan Gustaf Rein on May 4, 1908. The deed of sale was signed in January 1917. The sale included the fixtures and fittings and the warehouses. The commercial warehouse was also purchased from Mustonen.
Initially, the store only had access to part of the building. When the lease for the telegraph office expired in 1921, the store renovated the entire building into commercial premises.
In 1939, Seutu started its own bakery, having previously purchased bread from several suppliers. Operations began in September in rented premises on Sovionkatu street. In 1955, the cooperative moved from rented premises to its own bakery.
Raahenseudun Osuuskauppa operated on the corner of Pekkatori town square for decades. In 1971, a modern Sokos department store was opened on Laivurinkatu street.
A general store in the old style
It was 1947 when Aune Siniluoto started working at Pekkatori Seutu. She had previously worked at Pikku-Seutu for four years. She talked about her work in an article written by her sister, Alli Kauppila.
Antti Lassila was the store manager, and he was always ready to help the salespeople, even when he was busy. The salespeople called him the price book, because he could quote prices on demand as easily as if they were on a pharmacy shelf.
There were no cash registers in Seutu during Aune's time. Customers were given receipts written on paragon receipts. One part of the receipt was kept at the store. Each salesperson had their own cash box. When the store closed, the accountant checked the receipts and cash.
Scales were needed a lot, as almost all products sold had to be weighed. Granulated sugar, powdered sugar, flour, and groats were stored in bins, from which the amount needed by the customer was measured into a bag.
The store was a real general store. The shelves on the wall of the store were full of small boxes containing all kinds of odds and ends, such as cobbler's knives, thread, brushes, awls, rubber bands, nails, and screws.
Agricultural supplies were also on sale: horse harnesses, yokes, animal feed, and milk churns. Lamp oil, tar, and paint were stored in the yard warehouse, where the desired amount was measured into the buyer's container.
The coffin warehouse was in the attic. The salesperson was not far from tears when he had to ask the customer about the length and color of the coffin. Those were the old days when customers were familiar faces. News was exchanged during the transaction.
Sources: Heikki Impola: Osuusliike Raahenseutu 50 vuotta (1917–1967) and Alli Kauppila: article in Raahelainen on February 7, 1982.
Pekkatori Hair and Beauty Salon
The Brahen Training Center's Pekkatori Hair and Beauty Salon serves customers seasonally in accordance with the students' studies in the former Raahensedun Osuuskauppa building. The students decorated today's calendar window.
More information
Kirsti Vähäkangas: Tykövetua ja kiinnipitua – Meijjän kaupunki tarinoi
Back to the front page of the Old Town Raahe Advent Calendar