What shops do you miss?

[AlaskaElfForGin]

I still miss Woolies. I bloody loved that shop.

And I miss our local post office as you could buy all sorts of nonsense and have a chat at the same time.

The shop fronts were very different. I used to have a Saturday job in a DIY store in Croydon, and it was very obvious that the store had been a Woolworths in a previous incarnation. I think this only applies to stores that predated the 1960s or 70s though.

@Ginfordinner I heartily agree. In a town near me friends were up in arms about a new retail park being built at the edge of the town and many friends said they wouldn't use it and would still support the smaller shops. Fast forward a couple of years and they all use it because you can park there. The town centre has lost a few long standing independent shops and it's full of cafes which always seem to look empty. It's sad.

What’s the distinguishing features?

There was usually small tiles on the entrance and sometimes pillars.

Googleearth still shows the Woolies on street view in my town, but when you scroll back to it it disappears like a ghost 👻

Yes-the pillars and tiles, I remember now!

OMG that brings it all back, the anticipation of getting some iced caramels in the pick and mix and a bar of Cadbury’s Top Deck.

I miss video shops.
The smell. The walking around the snacks

I don't miss returning them tho.

Etsy and c&a still in Europe
C&a is shit. I was gutted when went round there.

I still miss The Sweater Shop

Razzle Dazzle.. Gosh, that's a blast from the past!

Video store and small book and toy shops. Also Tammy Girl. And Borders (I loved browsing the magazines in there).

*video stores. Used to go in mine all the time. Worked my way through every horror movie in the place I think as a teen

Toys R us I loved taking my children in there and Woolworths

Evolution, might have been a small chain, great for quirky gifts and hippie student essentials.
Bay Trading.
Principles in their original form before being saved.
Tammy Girl
BHS for lighting not clothes
Jane Norman
C&A
The Pier

I find it really difficult to browse and find nice gifty things these days. Online is fine if you know what you need, but poor for browsing.

HMV when it was actually good!

HMV is getting better, most stores now stock a good range of vinyl alongside the DVDs & funko pops!

The staff in my local HMV store are the best of any shop in the town - always really helpful and they really know their stuff.

I used to work for Bay trading, surprised anyone misses it, I hated the clothes!

BHS for lighting

Culpeppers, one of the many things I miss from them are the bunches of dried fennel, I used fill a large pot with them and bury whole fish to bake, gave a delicious flavour.

Timothy Whites, you could get anything household there. With the moves back towards basic cleaning items like bicarb, they would have been at the forefront if still going now.

Not a chain but a little local shop that sold picture frames in every size and style you could ever need...I miss them whenever I have to hang a photo! They sold art postcards, prints and posters too.

ShinyGiratina We had an Evolution. For all your rag rug and candle holder in the shape of a sun needs.

The Pier, Woolworths, Bay Trading Co - miss those three the most (Bay Trading Co and Pilot were my go-to clothes shops in my student days when Tactel fabric was everywhere and I had the figure for it!). A couple of months ago, I broke one of the large dinner plates in a gorgeous set I had from The Pier and am so gutted I’ll never be able to replace it. As for Woolies, it was just THE shop to get every sort of random thing you needed at any time. Sigh!

Yep Woolies, lots of childhood memories 😭

I know it's not disappeared from the high streets but I miss the Wilko in my town.
Their landlords massively increased the rent and refused to negotiate keeping it at the same level so Wilko closed the store. It's probably been gone for three years now and the large unit it occupied has remained empty since then, so rather than the landlords getting the lower rent from Wilko in that time they've actually had nothing.

Woolworths. Our christmas tree I paid £5 for in the woolworths closing down sale 11 years back. It's huge and so full, if I had friends or family I'm certain they would comment on how nice it is

La Senza
Bay Trading
Morgan
Mark One
Ravel
Dolcis
Shelleys Shoes
Kookai
Jane Norman

I loved Past Times especially during the sales.

Woolies sweet counter.. my first Saturday job aged 15
I miss c and a
Bhs.. thankfully I hoovered you several skirtinis but I need more boots... wails