Shops that we miss

[Pikafuckingwho]

On the back of the Past Times thread. What shops do you miss:

I miss

Coast (I know it’s online but it’s gone a bit shit)
Ravel
Morgan ( well my youthful self misses it)
Disney Store I know there is one in London but there used to be one in almost every town
Bay Trading (always good for a nice top to go with jeans)

Timothy Whites
The Reject Shop
Athena ( as do other PPs)

Ours morphed into a B and M. I’d never been in a B and M before and hadn’t known it was changing. I went to have a look anyway, and that was a shock!

I cba with shopping anymore. If I need a random sized battery/silicone plug cover/or crunchy deodorant I just buy it from eBay. Pretty much everything else is repeat purchase online or made in John Lewis. (Via eBay if need be). I like Next jeans and Hotel Chocolat, but that’s it apart from the annual Clark’s hell mouth for school shoes.

Warehouse. Again, the online version is crap.

Woolworths has essentially been replaced by B & M, Wilko and Poundstretchers/Bargain Buys. Other than the Ladybird clothes everything Woolworths sold is sold in B & M or Wilko or Poundstretchers. Their 'own brand' toys (Chad Valley) is sold at Argos now.
The pick and mix Woolworths sold is exactly the same brand sold in supermarkets and shops such as Wilko. Clothes similar to Ladybird are now sold more in supermarkets and shops like Primark/Pep and Co.
So really....Woolworths doesn't need to come back.
(Former Woolworths employee here)

HMV is still around. Actually better now as they sell more variety of products.
Any books Borders sold can be bought at Waterstones (is - if it's in print they can get it).

The Toys R Us market has been taken over by Smyths and The Entertainer. They sell pretty much what TRU sold.
The exception is the Babies R Us part. The Smyths selection isn't as big. That plus Mothercare going has left a big hole in baby goods retailers. Mothercare branded products are now sold in Boots but it's a much smaller amount.

Hawkshead

I knew it would come back to me ( Menopausal Brain)

I miss BHS for bedding, towels and lighting.

As a child a treat when staying at my grandparents was a trip to Timothy Whites.

I miss the kids clothing at Woolworths - their Ladybird brand was great for tall kids (BHS was rubbish - always too short and wide).

@70isaLimitNotaTarget

I was literally just speaking to my husband about five minutes ago about the clothes in Hawkshead. We were wondering if they were still around. I see they're not 😣

My nearest John Lewis. I am still properly cross about it closing. Closest one now takes ages to get to and is a right faff and can’t really be done on my day off due to school pick up timings. My old one was a 40 minute drive, park nearby and pop straight in. I am beyond furious about it. All my lovely days out, fucking ruined.

I also miss Debenhams, circa 2000. It was a real emporium of delights. Their Spirit clothing range was brilliant.

So really....Woolworths doesn't need to come back

I agree, the Woolworths stuff is readily available everywhere else.

I can't think of a high street shop that closed where you absolutely can't get the sort of stuff they sold.

My pregnant friend wants to go and try maternity clothes on in a shop but that's not a thing now from what I can tell. It was Mothercare when i had my DC.

My favourite serving dishes are from Tchibo and The Pier so I think about them and miss them on a regular basis!

Anyone mentioned Fopp yet? Curses the UK private equity leveraged buy out and business model that presumably lead to many businesses being found without swimwear on when the tide goes out.

@Zilla1 fopp is part of HMV. The one near Tottenham Court Rd in London is branded 'fopp' but inside it's the same a HMV.

That makes sense and thank you. Pre-the take off of online when everything is available, I welcomed Fopp's mix of cheap CDs, DVDs and books that seemed a little curated.

Woolies. Browsing all those unnecessary plastic objects.

Dolcis shoes

Another one for The Pier, Cargo was good as well. Still here but not what it was is The Body Shop, it used to be fun to visit with all the fragrance bottles.

What was the alternative hippy shop? With incense etc

@Parrotpretty was that Internationale?
(Spelling may be wrong)

Rowfers in Coventry and Birmingham - the whole Oasis market in Brum too.

I was wearing a pair of jeans last night that I got from Clockhouse in C&A!

Freeman, Hardy &Willis
Homebase
Lewis's
Outfit.
BHS

Some of the independent shops I miss from our small town

A fabric and wool shop
A butchers
A car accessories shop
A hardware store
Mountstevens Bakery (this was a small chain in and around Bristol)

Snob - Golders Green
Wallis - when they were proper stores and not concessions
Ravel
Miss Selfridge - the white dressing gown with the pink lipstick print all over it
BHS - for bras, swimwear and matching cover ups
Top Shop - Oxford Circus with all the concessions downstairs
A clothes shop late 70's/80's in Harrow, opposite Pizza Hut, can't remember the name, wooden floors, very rustic, sold Ghost clothing in the 80's

We still have Homebase.

Sacha shoes in the 1970s.

I live in a small town and disagree that the Woolworths hole has been filled. It's 15 miles to the nearest Wilko, and if you schlep up there the B&M/Home Bargains are in out of town retail parks too far from the bus, and anyway, I want to back in time about 20 years to a Woolies that had a record department, even if they sold CDs by then.

@Rina66 oh I'm born and raised in Harrow and cannot remember that one. Gonna ask my mum 🤣