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.

Woolworths. It had everything.

Or the video shop. Ours had a kind of loyalty card system where you got to choose a toy every so many videos. There were different levels & a hierarachy of toys / symbols. Oh how I wanted the massive pink teddy.

Tammy Girl

I'd forgotten about Zodiac, I thought it was an independent toy shop, I had my roller boots from there and spent ages rolling down the spiral car park ramp.

My favourite shop though was Argos, I still love it, there's something exciting about waiting too see it appear from the back.

Trumps on leith walk

@PrivateParkin oh I’m so glad someone else remembers Blacklers!!!! I doubted myself after I’d posted so I googled it- found that the Christmas grotto was a major thing but I don’t remember that at all.
Going to Blacklers was a proper morning out with my Granny in her hat and handbag (like the queen- she wasn’t posh that’s just what ladies did in her day!!). On the bus into town to the “gyratory” - another thing I’m going to have to google, surely that’s a made up word??😂

dawnc27 I loved children's world! I remember sliding down the slide.

My local book shop- an independant one and Woolworths. I loved those little red machines with miniature Dairy Milks in that would dispense a DM if I put 10p in.

I did not enjoy shoe shopping as I had large awkward shaped tootsies but for some weird reason I did enjoy putting me feet in the slidey machine that measured them. I was a weird child

National Trust gift shops. All of them.

champaignsocialist those were my two too!!! I still mourn Neal Street East whenever I walk past. It was a treasure trove with all the different floors! And the bead shop isn't quite so magical as an adult.

An independent children's bookshop in Greenwich market. And when I was older Body Shop!!! Chatsworth farm shop.

It's lovely to be reminded what it felt like as a child to go to these shops. Makes me wonder what shops my children will remember ... mine love a pic n'mix from Wilco's.

Garden of Eaten. A chocolate shop that we used to get marshmallow chocolate dipped ‘mushrooms’ from and other goodies. Yum yum

We also liked the dairy a few streets away. We’d walk the dog up there to get dads newspaper and if we were lucky he’d give us money to buy us all sweets

There used to be a shop in my town that I suppose was a deli, but all I remember was being a young child in the early seventies and I loved to go in there with my Nan because of the smells of coffee beans, smoked hams and foreign cheeses, spices and things that were mysterious and intriguing - mention the shop to anyone round here and they go 'mmmm, the smell!!'

There was a little independent shop next door to the local Bejam my parents sometimes shopped at which has all sorts of little treasures like tiny ornaments, marbles, toys etc so we used to save up and spend our pocket money there!

Later as a teenager I was obsessed with choosing stuff I'd buy for my home when I was older I loved a shop called The Reject Shop as it literally sold everything! I also worked there when I was about 17-18 lol

Woolworths - for the pick n mix and cassette / cd singles
The Disney Store - this was when the little mermaid had been released and it was huge
Any sort of bookshop

My mum used to have a market stall in a small indoor market that was attached to a bit of a run down 60s shopping centre. It was huge though and I used to spend all day in the holidays mooching about.

There used to be an awesome part toy part tat shop called Patel’s. I remember getting a doll baby bottle which had milk in that ‘disappeared’ when you tipped it up. I thought it was the best thing ever.

Sadly the whole shopping centre was demolished in the noughties and a Tesco Extra built in its place.

There was a more upmarket toy shop in another shopping centre nearby called Wonderland and I used to mooch in there while my mum went clothes shopping. I loved the Sindy stuff and Lundy dolls house furniture. I remember getting my first tennis racket there, it was a Dunlop John McEnroe one

Seemingly my mother was unconcerned about my not being by her side too

@CoolCarrie I remember Casey's! And Jeannie Vietch's...tablet, a half ounce of boilings, parma violets....
I used to love going to Jenner's basement to look at the toys, also at Chtistmas when tbey would have the massive Christmas tree almost touching the ceiling.
Loved John Menzies too.

miniDoofa The gyratory was/is indeed real! It's where most of the major bus routes drop off and pick up at Queen's Square.
Blackler's was indeed an amazing store, the basement was a real treasure trove of goodies. Fabulous at Christmas!

Woolies for pick n mix and a single cassette (think billie piper for era)

Tammy girl for all things sparkly and embroidered. I could happily spend an hour in there, loved trying things on in the changing room I can still remember exactly what they they looked like it made me feel so grown up!

A little independent book shop in the small town where I grew up. I spent hours in there and always spent my birthday and Christmas money there.

@MiniDoofa
@nightcapers
We always used to laugh when my granddad gave us the "instructions" for getting back to theirs from town (which we'd done loads of times, but he used to explain each time anyway, just in case) and he'd always tell us to get the bus from Gyratory J

Blacklers grotto was amazing. They once had a Wendy and Peter Pan theme, it was absolutely magical. I think Lee's had a grotto as well but Blacklers is the one I remember going to.

Lovely thread OP.

Love all of these, thanks for sharing.

My DC's will probably remember Waitrose, and the big toy section in our nearest Tesco.

Coopers toy shop in Rotherham, then to Whitehall Cafe for a lime milkshake

When I was little, I had a beautiful dolls' house and there were three independent toy shops that specialised in dolls' houses, collectors' dolls and bears that I loved going to every time we visited the East Coast: The Dower House in St Andrews, The Bear Pad in Cupar and Guiscards in Pitlochry. All long since closed, of course, but I loved them as a child.

There was a little shop in Norwich called The Christmas Tree. it sold wooden toys and beady jewellery and general up market hippy stuff. It had fairy lights all year round ( quite something in 1969). Most things seemed to be red and green and it smelled amazing.
I found it totally magical.

Another vote for Zodiac Toys.