Why Sewing Machines and Vacuum Cleaners are sold together?



When I was young I used to ask so many questions to my old man and his answer was always stop asking stupid questions. One of those so called stupid questions was why specialty stores sell sewing machines and vacuum cleaners under one roof?
It was not until years later when I got interested in embroidery and quilting this question came to mind once again.

I did a bit of research, some reasoning and I found the answer to why stores who sell sewing machines also sell vacuum cleaners.

It turned out that Singer which is one of the best sewing machines in history (not anymore) used to make vacuum cleaners as well so it would only make sense that the dealer stores would carry both. Another good point is that both sewing machines and vacuum cleaners use similar parts: small electric motors and belts. Both break down often and someone who knows how to fix a sewing machine can easily fix a vacuum cleaner as well. It would only make sense to sell both machines and parts and have a technician in one store.

Further reasoning of why sewing machines and vacuum cleaners are sold in one store has to do with women and necessity.

Women in the past had 3 major things they always did besides raising children:
Cooking, cleaning the house (i.e vacuuming) and making clothes and alterations (i.e sewing)
It would have been much easier for a lady to visit one store for all her sewing and vacuuming needs especially transportation was not always available decades ago.

So after answering the question my mind came up with another so called stupid question:

Why didn’t these stores (Sewing and Vac)  also sell cooking supplies and even food items to save the ladies the trouble of getting around?

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