Thompson's Drugs Photograph Collection, approximately 1947

Seattle pharmacist Albert C. Thompson and his son Albert Jr. opened Thompson's Drugs as part of the new Bellevue Square shopping center in 1946. The owner's sales expectations were exceeded by more than a third in the store's first year, which they attributed to the ingenuity of the shopping center's design. The new centralized shopping location accommodated more than thirty different businesses and ample free parking, drawing shoppers from Seattle and other environs as it provided an easy and convenient drive-up shopping experience. Thompson's Drugs was recognized for its modern, appealing architecture. Design efforts were focused on easy display of products. Large plate-glass windows, along with a wide and shallow floor plan and walls and aisles set at oblique angles to the front, made nearly everything in the store easily visible. White ceilings, lightly colored walls, and generous lighting, which came from 26 recessed bulbs, enhanced merchandise visibility. Mirrors behind the soda fountain further extended the customers' view of wares.