Shops that have gone but not forgotten

[Vivana]

What shops do you miss that have closed down. Mine would have to be woolworths. I use to love going in there.

I used to love our town as a teen. It really had it all. There was a great mix of local shops and national retailers but shoe shopping was just the best. We had Freeman Hardy Willis, Curtess, Northern Shoe Company. There was another beginning with P too and Truman’s maybe 🤔. It was fab as you went from one to the another before making a final choice! Proper day out stuff in comparison to now where you have to go to somewhere massive like Liverpool one to get the same experience.

@ThisIsNotARealAvo Spoils was definitely a bigger chain than just your area! I remember buying things from there for our student house in the early 90s.

The main thing I miss now is the range of cheaper/mid-price shoe shops on the high street. I remember Dolcis, Ravel (I thought that was a bit posh back in the day!), Saxone, Barretts etc. Nowadays there doesn't seem to be much between the very cheap (shoezone etc) and the £120+ shoes.

We also got a lot of kitchen equipment from Spoils in Leeds in the early 90s. Some of it was a bit odd but ridiculously cheap.

We had this strange plastic crossbolt looking thing that cost something like 10 pence, that we used for years for stirring pasta and then relegated it to stirring paint. It's probably still with all the decorating equipment in the shed. No idea what it really was as a lot of stuff was unpackaged and unlabelled.

onetwothreeonetwothree omg I had completely forgotten about punkyfish until you said that. Made me all nostalgic. ☺️🐠

I used to love Habitat. So modern!
Cafetieres! Duvets!

Oh yes, the pier! That was great back in the day! And I thought Ravel was posh too! Didn't we all?!
And I got my first bra from BHS!

Woolworths and BHS for me.
Especially Woolworths, because there was one within walking distance and I don't drive. I used to get tons of stuff from there. It's been replaced by Poundland which is ok for smaller cheaper items but not bigger things.

International Stores. Had loose biscuits in glass topped tins. You could do pick 'n mix with biscuits!

Didn't Chelsea girl become river island?
Does anyone remember Lewis'?

I miss Kendall's in Manchester it's not the same now it's a regular House of Fraser. I'm sure it had a fancy food hall when I was little

Woolies and HMV and on a local level Casey’s sweet shop in Edinburgh. It was a old family run shop, made their own chocolate, lovely old fashioned boxes and paper to wrap everything and their Easter and Christmas windows were always beautiful.

Clockhouse at C&A, Snob, Chelsea Girl, Etam, Dolcis, are the shops I used to go to as a teenager. British Home Stores for bras and tights as it was cheaper than Marks. The Gap and Bennetton later on. Woolies for wellies!

I will really miss Debenhams. The shop in my town was knocked down and turned into a giant John Lewis, but it's too expensive for me.

Pilot and Ethel Austin.

I go my first bra from Ethel Austin, has an underwire and everything - I felt so grown up!

Past Times as well.

Cable & Co. Really great shoes. WHY did they forsake me??!

Pilot and BHS. BHS for nice plain black mix and match swimwear which didn't cost the earth. I still have a Pilot black mini in my wardrobe. I have dyed it back many times and it stil comes out each summer.
I will be a bit sad to see Topshop go. I remember my first pair of skinny jeans that actually fit. They were one of the first to do waist 24 leg 32. Now, though, I tend to go to Primark for jeans and basics. Online like EMP and attitude for going out and band websites for tees. My work wardrobe is old but lovely and well cared for. I just can't justify almost £40 for a pair of jeans when Primark has them for 14.
Also, Manchester people. Who misses Afflecks?
Liverpool people Grand Central and Leeds People the Corn Exchange.

@Maireas
Habitat is still trading.

the pier, past times and dolcies

The Pier, Cullens, Shelly's Shoes, Principles, Woolworths

Principles.

Chelsea Girl didn’t die.. it changed to River Island.

Mark one, internacionale, index, Littlewoods, D2 jeans, original shoe, Tammy girl, etam, more store, Adams childrenswear.... Talking of which, there's no bloody decent children's clothes shops anymore that don't focus on designer and Spanish brands! It's all supermarket or online

C&A
Woolworths
BHS
The Natural World
Warner Brothers Shop
The Disney Store (still around but gone from our town)

Ooh I miss The Pier too. And Ottakar’s (bookshop) - they had fun stuff in ours as a kid like a rocking horse and a life size Dalek.

@Blacktothepink C&A are still going strong in Europe! It’s where I got my coat from.

@haliborange0verdose Timpsons hasn’t gone bust, I think there’s 3 in my town plus supermarket concessions!

Anyone from Manchester remember Kumar Brothers? Precursor to Mark one.

I'm hoping Topshop won't go and that maybe the Arcadia brand will be split up and sold separately. I know boohoo were interested but hopefully that wouldn't affect the quality of the clothing.

A pop mentioned Afflecks in Manchester. It's still going or at least it was when I last went manc a year ago

I really miss Maplin. Always a good price and always had exactly what you needed.