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)

Homebase here too ( is it still part of the Sainsbury group?)

It is souless
Always empty , the sraff outnumber the customers

I don't think there's much there that cannot be bought in Wilkos or B&Q .

Tammy girl
Mk1
Select
Bay clothing
International
Jane Norman

I'd forgotten these until now, but you're totally right Op. Miss all of these, and also add BHS & Woolworths.

I really don't want the High Street to die - love that HMV seems to be making a comeback!

Another vote for Woolworths, I don't think it was comparable to the likes of B&M and Wilkos at all.
I also miss Laura Ashley, I loved a browse round and being able to get wallpaper samples.
Disney Store was magical as a child, I would love to take my DC there.

There uses to be one called Saffron Moon in Reading, my teenage self loved that shop!

I loved Sarah Coggles in York.
Also Ravel and Office for shoes, Topshop and Warehouse.
I loved browsing the magazines in Borders as well.

Woolies
BHS
C&A

Woolworths
Past Times
Debenhams (previously Browns of Chester)
Owen Owen
Laura Ashley
Homebase
BHS (for their cafe)

Debenham, for bras and unexpected clothing finds.

BHS for towels etc.

Woolworths for bits and bobs. The other places are not the same.

Athena. I'm well past the stage of posters blutacked to the walls but recently a DC and partner were looking for some prints for their house and I realised Athena was just what they wanted.

Also, a one-off shop which was a huge part of my childhood. It sold, among other things, Lego, craft things and books. I went back a few years ago and it was an estate agents 😭

Do you remember Owen Owen?
The smell of the deli counter mixing with ground coffee...😋

add C&A and Toy and Hobby to my list.

This is all making me sad...I don't know where to shop now!

If I had a shopping time machine I would go back for a day Christmas shopping at Bluewater when it was new and had most of the shops mentioned on this thread plus Sephora, Bath and Body Works, Benetton, Topaz, Etam and so many more. I would come home glittering slightly and smelling like vanilla.

I miss the Littlewoods cafe for afternoon tea!

Didn’t realise La Senza had gone - loved the way they wrapped the lingerie.
Woolies - loved the fact you could buy separate flavours of jelly belly jellybeans thereby escaping the horrible ones!
Debenhams (bras)

@newtb Ethel Austin were across the UK not just confined to the north west! They were fantastic for children's clothes.

I miss record shops like MVC, Virgin / Zavvi, Our Price, the music section of Woolies, etc., and I miss how HMV used to be: it used to be a proper record shop, now it seems half of it is superhero and video game merch - not what I went in there for!

I also miss Debenhams bras

I think it’s all tied in with Sainsburys/Argos? Same here, soulless and awful. Nobody in there and never any bargains.

Laura Ashley

Principles

Debenhams

Was it Evolution?

Omg the reject shop
Jerrys home store

Oasis
Borders
Laura Ashley
Cargo
Benetton
Tchibo - nice coffee!

I rather liked Kookai & Jane Norman.
Those big Virgin megastores were so much fun for browsing! M

Oh Bay Trading! Loved it.

Gadget shop
The Pier
Athena
Debenhams

Too many to mention!

Debenhams
Woolies
Thorntons
Whittards
C and A
Toys r us
Pilot
Oasis

It's the Topshop on Oxford Street I'm most sad about 😭

What every woman wants

Woolies

Debenhams

C&A

I almost feel like a grieve for the old high street. Shopping and browsing was such a massive part of my youth.