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.

Although they're technically still going, I miss when there was a Fopp on every high street. I'm trying not to amazon this year and there is a few CDs and DVDs on my gift list. There's nowhere I can just nip into locally and buy them all in one place and places like HMV online are shit!

The Pier
Woolworths
HMV
Ravel - I miss shoe shops

@Sunshine0620 I remember those brands!! They used to run big full page adverts in the Saturday paper supplements for PC packages-I would love seeing all the CD-ROM disks that were included (Encarta encyclopaedia anyone?!)
My brother and I came home from school one day, probably circa 1997, to find our dad had brought one and it was all set up with dial up internet too! Best day EVER!

I think what I miss is the feeling that shopping in a particular shop made you sort of part of a tribe.
I was a goth so going into the upstairs part of Onyx Music in Bristol or to ‘Renegade’ to buy my velvet trousers and dog collars was part of the scene. I don’t think you get that from Spotify and buying from Etsy (or wherever goths buy their shit these days.)

Also Bristol people: I miss the old galleries. Woolworths on the second floor with Athena and The Pier. The food court on the third floor which made me feel like I was in an American High School! It was so good that you could sit in a group and one of you could have Burger King, the other could have noodles or Spud u Like.
It’s still there but not the same!

@GlamGloria I came on to say Press & Bastyan; loved their clothes. I have a wine red knitted vest top with sparkles in by them. Still not dated I'd say!

Another posh shop I loved to browse in (only ever bought one skirt from them... guess that helped them go under) was Droopy & Browns.

I remember Dolcis! That was a great shop. There is a Benetton still trading near me.

@HoofWankingSpangleCunt you are totally right about the Corn Exchange. It was another brilliant place to hang out in

I don't like it when places with character have that stripped away with development... feeling the same loss from Battersea Power Station, but I guess it was inevitable it would become housing given its prime position there.

Warehouse and Oasis, I used to get quite a bit in their sales.
All the shoe shops which have gone. I have narrow feet so want to try stuff on. Luckily, some sandals I ordered from Schuh this year were fine!
I miss the record shops too. I avoid Amazon unless it's the only place I can get something. Last Christmas I ordered DP two CDs, one arrived the other didn't. Their customer service was terrible-not rude but just slow and inefficient. I think I got refunded in February, I actually wanted the bloody CD though!

Forgot to add this was from HMV!

Our Price
Etam
C&A
Woolies

Past times was good for —crap— unusual Xmas gifts.

I miss Past Times, even though it was probably aimed at women of a certain age. I liked some of the retro things. It was an original and distinctive concept and I wish it had survived.

And yes to Erny-Nerny, sorry, the Early Learning Centre. They let you play with the toys - it was great.

Oasis

@HoofWankingSpangleCunt I bought an amazing 70s leather jacket from the Corn Exchange in about 1992. I loved it so much!
Is Afflec's Palace still a thing in Manchester? I loved that place too.
I can't believe that Kendal's is not Kendal's anymore

People have mentioned Gap and Benetton, they still have some shops open.

I'm in east London and we lost Percy Ingle's bakers earlier in the year. It was a sad day when they closed down.

Tammy girl
La senza
Jane Norman

I was born in 90 and remember going in these shops with friends when we were teens

Definitely miss decent midrange shoe shops, for a brief but happy period there were Hush Puppy shoe shops, I could always find smart, comfortable flat shoes there.

Droopy and Browns!!! I remember that. Fabulous dresses with big sleeves and lovely weeding dresses too.

Wedding dresses not weeding duh

@HoofWankingSpangleCunt*
This is a bit niche but the Corn Exchange in Manchester used to be the most amazing place . Occult shops, incense and tie-dye galore*

Cockburn st in Edinburgh was the same. All gone now, fast food places and chains.

The Metro Centre in Newcastle too- built like a spindle IIRC, main high st shops on the outside, niche hippie shops on the little corridors.

Same for the corn exchange in Leeds, and the trafford centre used to have an indoor market where Debenhams is now (or was it John Lewis end?)

Is Afflecks Palace still there?

Don’t miss any of the “chain” shops. But do miss all the little tiny independents.

Afflecks is still there - hasn't changed that much.
I remember the Trafford Centre Market - considering the Trafford Centre is only 20odd years old it's changed so much.

I used to love the Co op department store in Coventry, especially the sleigh ride at Christmas.

BHS and C&A. Used to love both.

There are still Woolworth shops in Berlin.
Still as odd as they were in my youth 50 years ago.

Etam
Bay trading
Woolworths

Do miss woolies. Went there often when my kids were young. Frequented one near work for household things

When my kids were small, Early Learning Centre and Toys R Us. We used to spend so much of our weekend in these stores. For years!!

Laura Ashley I miss terribly for all things to do with the home.

Forgot about bay trading and mark one, pure teenage heaven in the 90s. Also Kookai when I was feeling flush!

Neal Street East, The Pier, Past Times.