Post Sutler-1840s Supercenter - Fort Scott National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) As with the department stores and supermarkets of today, the sutler strove to stock a wide variety of good to appeal to his diverse clientelle. Sutlers carried (among other things) bolts of cloth, blankets, ready made clothes, footgear, food, spices, writing equipment, china dishes, musical instruments, miscellaneous household furnishings, tools, general hardware, and an assortment of personal items (razors, soap, pipes, fish hooks, etc.). This represented quite an impressive display.