This type of polyethylene bag was popular in the late 1970s and 1980s. Such plastic bags without any die cut handles were used to hold smaller items. The top was folded down and taped to prevent the contents from falling out. Emporium Holdings was a well-known retail group in the 1970s and 1980s, with more than ten outlets located all over Singapore. The departmental store catered mainly to the middle and lower income families, selling both China-made and local products at affordable prices. In the mid-1980s, many of the stores were closed and workers retrenched due to large debts chalked up by the company. Fortunately, in 1987, the company was saved from liquidation after a Hong Kong company invested in it and turned it into a profitable business.
