Many of the unusual economic features of the 1930s evidenced the transition from a manufacturing to a consumer economy. The decline of rail transportation and downturn in the auto market led to cutbacks in iron and steel; yet, simultaneously, the manufacturing of flat-rolled steel and tin plate increased vastly at the end of the decade, as these metal products were used in the manufacture of processed foods, especially canned goods. The processed foods industry was spurred in many ways by the Great Depression. Lower food prices and an increasing number of women working outside the home shifted many American eating habits to canned and processed foods, which were easier and quicker to serve. Retailers responded by revolutionizing the grocery business, turning to canned food and the newly introduced frozen foods to save space and operating expenses. The first true supermarket was opened in 1930; by 1939 nearly five thousand existed around.....
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