What was your favourite shop as a child?

[ohellio]

My mum used to take us to the local florist. It was more than a florist though; it sold things like bird seed in little plastic tubs (which I used to stand and push my hands through - I still love that feeling to this day). They sold dog leads and I used to save my pocket money so I could buy a new one every now and again for my little toy dog that I carried around. I still remember the smell of the green oasis stuff that the flowers were stuck into, and the smell of the bird peanuts. They had a lovely, elderly black and white cat called Crackers who just LOVED the strokes. We called it 'Cracker's Shop'.

I also have fond memories of our local Safeway as it was the first time I was allowed out unsupervised. It was only to buy a pint of milk, but MY GOD I still remember the fear that I'd get to the till and not have enough money.

I'd love to hear about other's favourite / most memorable childhood shops.

B&Q, when my dad had a project on the go. Spinning on the railings outside, the huge shelves and our local one sold these chocolate owls at the till and they were so good -please let that be a real memory-
I also used to like going to the post office to get a quarter of sweets with my pocket money.

I still love b&q and I'm 35

Woolies! I still miss that shop

The chemist shop by my nan's house. It had sweets, stationery, dolls and those scenes with transfers which were my absolute favourite. (My sister found me one recently for my birthday!). All chemists were brilliant way back then according to my memories.

Zodiac - it was a toy shop that sold cheap (and probably dangerous) toys and games. Source of all my Fuzzy Felt.

Woolies- a cheap pocket money toy and some pick and mix and my weekend was made. They used to sell these fruity chews that were plaster shaped that I loved.

childrens world and jolly giant toy shop.
childrens world as it had a slide and a cafe that sold yummy ginger biscuits and jolly giant as it had "pocket money" toys galore

@mimiasovitch Funily enough I actually used to work in a chemist and it was bloody brilliant. I used to get all the make up that didn't sell.

Weigh and save.

Getting a bag of hot chocolate powder was a treat.

And looking at the tubs of exotic looking products was great- I discovered Bombay mix there too

B&Q- the door bell section was tiny child heaven

Lorimers, it’s an independent shop in the town I grew up in which is remarkably still trading and much the same. On the ground floor they sell stationary and craft supplies, on the first floor they sell toys, so between the two floors it was my favourite shop throughout my childhood and my teens.

A shop called the Fruit Bowl! My dad used to pick my sister and I up from school, stop off and get some flowers for our mum or some fruit/veg and I used to love playing with the huge bowl of monkey nuts. Memories!

C&A loved looking at all the clothes and loved the smell of the shop.

A shop called Penny Save - it sold all sorts of things, from Tupperware to stationery. I remember it used to have lots of plastic baskets outside - mum used to go in there a lot but I can't remember what for. I remember desperately loving a display of spiral spring keychains - clear brightly coloured plastic with a little clip on one end for your trousers and the other had a key ring to attach your keys too.
They also had tubs of small pocket money toys, like plastic frogs that you flipped with the tab at the back. And those little "popping" semi-spheres of rubber that you turned inside out and wait till they popped into the air!
Ooooo and once she let me buy a pair of clacker balls on string that you used to bash together over and over (pointlessly lol)

Harrods
I lived near there and it was like a fairy kingdom

when at my grandparents it was FAO Schwartz (the ultimate toy store as featured in hundreds of film)

The wool shop. Looking at the different colours was fun!

A shop called La Pêche on Barnes High Street.

It was the 80s and it always had these wonderful fashions in that I used to dream of wearing every single day when I was grown up. Lots of jumpsuits and turned back cuffs and pastel colours.

It appears to be Tanya's Fish Bar now

C & A
Woolies
Lewis’s

All for different reasons but loved them all

Woolworths - loved getting the pick n mix and tapes/cds when I was older.

There was an independent book shop in my home town that I loved. I used to be given vouchers for my birthday and remeber sitting in the small children's section which was downstairs in its basement chosing new books . I distinctly remeber buying 'Matilda' and being very excited!

C&A! Yes.

Also Debenhams cafe. Those cheap sausages were incredible.

An independent shop which sold all the things I wanted: books, art and craft stuff, Lego, stationery etc. I loved going there and still have a few books chosen there in the 1960s.

I went back after about 40 years and it's now a Costa. I stood outside and nearly wept

Loved the toy department in Fenwicks Brent Cross. I was a big Sindy fan and I would spend ages admiring the displays, there was a whole wall of pink boxes.

Woolworths as well of course. Our Price for records.

And there was a great little gift shop called Etcetera on Golders Green Road.

Woolworths. I used to dream of going to ToysRUs but there wasn't one nearby.

Woolies- for the toys and the pick n mix
WH Smith - for the books, I was a bookworm
a newsagent near us called Star - great comics and sweets.