To ask for your most missed shops?

[anitagreen]

This year my heart was broken by Toys "R" Us closing, just wondered what other shops that have closed do you miss?
This year we've had maplins, BHS I believe was this year, Mothercare will all be gone by next year summer too.
As a teen I used to love Bay Trading, and a shop called Tammy Girl.

Mark One

West One (they may have been independent?)

Pilot

Faith shoe shops

Miss all these!

Blockbusters. Movie watching isn’t the same sitting in the house. I miss getting in the car the anticipation. The snacks and the smell!!! Don’t miss having to drop it back tho.

Woolies
Bay trading
MKOne
And the big department store where I grew up in Croydon. Allders.
Met ladies dressed up as princesses in there when I was tiny, got my first bra in there as a pre teen, and my first lot of make up 💔

Yes bay trading!!!

Another fan of Kew.
And Borders.
And Seattle Coffee Company.
And Dillons.

Another one for Woolworths

I’m in Leeds and mourn the loss of Lewis’ and Schofields department stores especially at Christmas. Fab shops

I haven't seen one in years!! I'll have a google.

Thank you @LoniceraJaponica @VisitorsEntrance

Tammy girl - surprisingly good for gothy stuff as a teen.

Woolworths here too.
And Morgan de Toi. Their jeans and trousers used to fit me perfectly.

I was only saying the other day I miss Woolies!! Perfect for Christmas shopping!!

Also, who ever said the Disney store will be next is bonkers!
Have you not seen the people who queue outside just to get the next monthly instalment of the special edition mickeys!! Plus it's backed by a much bigger corporation....

Debenhams will go, as will New look which is sad as I quite like there stuff- really love the homeware stuff they've been selling recently.

Allders in Leeds, my go to time killing shop to look round when I was a student.
Also The Pier, could not afford the nice things, only look then it was gone.
Old style Body Shop where you could fill a little box or tin bucket with soap/pearls/tiny bubble baths of delicious.
MK1/Internationale/Tammy girl as a teenager.

@easyandy and @Aimlessly

I lived in Croydon until 1991 and found your posts intriguing. I doubt if I'd recognise most of it now. The notion of the town centre without Allders seems really weird. Does this mean you can no longer get from George Street to the Whitgift Centre by going along Allders Arcade?

Mind you, I'm so old I can remember when Debenhams was Kennards, there was a really old-fashioned department store called Grants (opposite the bottom end of St George's Walk) and the Whitgift Centre was still Whitgift School.

Woolies. Wilko has sort of plugged the gap but not 100%.

I think wh smith will soon just have airport/rail stores plus magazine distribution.

Pilot. I loved it as a teen. Ditto Bay Trading.

Still mourning the loss of Borders.

And everyone who could just afford The Pier when it closed...I am with you. I have one beautiful.photo frame I bought in the closing down sale. Sigh.

Also embarrassingly I miss Jane Norman and La Senza.

Borders
Kookai - it’s where I bought my first non studenty clothes from !
Knickerbox

I miss C&A

pearlkent

I remember my friend had a lipstick from Miss Selfridge called "Iron Maiden"
It was a cerise pink frosty glitter shade. Suited her wonderfully as she had dark hair, not as good on me as a blonde.

Woolworths - the pick and mix was better than anywhere else :-D

Oh and of course the huge original Biba on Kensington High Street!! I spent a couple of birthdays there with my sister and parents. You could spend hours and hours in there and then finish by eating in the top floor Rainbow restaurant or even their roof garden restaurant.

That was actually their third shop. The first one was on Kensington Church St, then they moved to a bigger shop on the High Street, but on the opposite side and much further down, before moving to the old Derry and Toms building.

The big one was fabulous though, you could easily spend all day there.

Morgan
Kookai
Pilot
MarkOne
Snob
Athena
Past Times
Dolcis

I think Miss Selfridge will be next to go. Always a 50% sale and they seem to have completely lost their way

@LakieLady

You can still go through Allders Arcade into the bizarre bazaar that’s replaced Allders and through into Whitgift. At one exit you’re greeted by a Poundland that I seem to remember was in the press due to being plagued with mice and the other exit is opposite a shop selling plastic handbags and offerings in the same ilk as in the Allders bazaar. That end is very quiet. The other end where M&S, Boots, River Island, NewLook, MacDonalds are situated is always busy and the ground floor of Centrale is often busy too but I think it’s Zara that draws customers in as that’s always a bloody queuing nightmare when it comes to paying.

Grants is now a Vue Cinema. It’s days are probably numbered though as the new Westfield has plans for a multi screen cinema.

Have got used to the decline of High Streets but to see what was once a bustling town on its arse is sad.
Even Burger King has upped sticks.

Talking of High Street Ken - Does anyone else remember the childhood den of joy that was TreeHouse? It was down the Commonwealth Institute end but on the opposite side. Think it’s Balham’s Locks now.

Hours and hours were spent in there choosing smelly pencils and Scratch ‘n Sniff stickers! Other than Harrod’s stationary department it was probably the only other place where you could buy Hello Kitty, My Melody, Little Twin Star products. Oh how I coveted the Hello Kitty telephone at the counter.
There was Tiger Tiger on the Kings Road too which was a lovely little independent toy shop too.