To miss the excitement of 90's shops

[JunoLunar]

Warning: pointless nostalgia
I love shopping but it's such a dull experience these days.
Maybe it was because I was younger and had such little disposable income. I miss shops selling you a 'lifestyle' as i really only get that feeling in IKEA now.
In particular I miss:
Body shop: the little shaped sponges of oranges, lemons, strawberries and the coordinating sprays, bubble baths and those little iridescent balls that went in the bath.
Disney shop: DD was obsessed with Encanto at Christmas and I had to trawl through what they had on so many different online shops. It would be amazing to have a Disney shop to see all the different merchandise and let her choose a few things. I remember the excitement of the lion king coming out and seeing the big displays with all the cuddly toys. I chose a pencil case with different compartments which hid rubbers, pens etc, think it had a calculator too (high tech!)
The Pier: totally up my hippie mums street. Used to have one of those CD players where you could listen to a snippet of rain music, whale music, wolves howling! Did anyone buy those cds? Also selling us the dream of a coloured glass bowl of water with floating tea lights which definitely didn't end up either getting spilt or left to go mouldy on the book shelf. I remember how grown up I felt buying a wooden cat which came in a stars and moon print paper bag.
Waterstones: I still love it now but loved it even more when there was no Amazon or kindles and you had to proper commit to a book to pay £8 for the hard cover.
HMV: I bought the single of 'Smooth' by Santana on tape and the long haired guy behind the till said 'nice choice'. I was sure I could write for Kerrang magazine based on that comment alone.
Also Debenhams in Bristol had in interactive forest with talking trees and a fake drive in cinema with little cars you could sit in and watch Disney films. It was basically ok for your parents to dump you there whilst they shopped. I vaguely remember going there but we never bought anything as it was ' too dear'.

The 90s were the best. Sigh.

I used to love shopping, it was like going hunting for treasures! I remember so many of these shops. I especially loved shopping in places like Kingston or Covent Garden, Shellys had the most amazing, whacky shoes. Everywhere is so soulless these days.

And yes, The Pier, what a fabulous shop that was. I bought some beautiful Christmas decorations in their closing down sale, which I still have, made from wood or glass, love putting them on the tree.

The only thing that comes anywhere close to that experience is going to charity shops, it still gives me that same buzz as you never know what you will find.

Maybe we need to learn how to make our own clothes!

@Bringsexyback

I had a Saturday job in Athena I had literally no idea how cool I was imagine and anybody that’s from Birmingham do you remember Oasis ? By the markets

I do! I had just moved to Brum in 1997 and I loved it. I used to get tickets for raves at the same time as browsing mood rings and hippy clothes

I think I might have had the same Lion King pencil case. It had buttons and had a pop up calendar and sharpener and hidden compartments. I still remember going into the Disney Store and choosing it. The Disney Store was my DD’s favourite shop before they closed down; I’m disappointed she won’t get to browse there now unless we go to London.

I also have fond memories of Bay Trading, The Body Shop (I loved the fruit shaped soaps and bath pearls) and record shops.

Yes, I could spend hours browsing with my friends, walking round Woolworths to buy the latest single on cassette and later flicking through all the CDs in Virgin megastore.

Wandering round Spoils looking at all the random stuff, especially near Xmas when they had all the decorations and gifts out.

All the little independent shops that sold hippy stuff or rock/punk/goth clothes.

Or going into town with Mum or Grandma and stopping in Bruccianis (Leicester) for a Coke float and a lemon split.

Meeting up in town on a Saturday morning... TopShop, OurPrice, Woolies, Boots (splurging on one-hour film developing and then killing time!)...

When I was about 13, we'd get the train to the nearest city and go to the shopping centre. Those were the heady heights! Mooching around, buying basically nothing, looking at boys, being incommunicado with home as no mobiles, McDonald's for lunch... Definitely nostalgic for the 90s now!

Lush has replaced body shop in terms of wasting ten minutes and killing your nose so you go smell-blind.
Shoe shops which had a proper sale on boxing Day. I used to love buying shoes and boots.

Last time I went shopping there was a lindt chocolate shop with a free sample available.

Oh! And visiting the Body Shop (we didn't have one in town, so only on our city visits - special!) where they'd have little baskets and you could put shredded paper in the bottom and then choose 3 or 4 things to go inside. I think we all just swapped Body Shop stuff for birthdays and Christmas! My favourite was the vanilla but I remember White Musk being most popular! They had kind of misting sprays in the different scents, everyone seemed to have one in their bag!

I miss all of these; C&A, Morgan, Jane Norman, Tammy girl, Kookai, Bay,, La Senza, the Pier etc. Our city had an amazing Hovells (furniture/home store) on different levels. It was like a treasure trove and so interesting! Loved going with friends to The body shop, HMV and also a fabulous little shop that sold jewellery/hair accessories- my favourite memory was selecting all the mini crocodile butterfly hair clips that were the fashion then! Also those jelly bracelets - does anyone remember them?!
I also miss all the individual shops which have now all sadly closed. Even choosing stationary was exciting - the era of giant fluffy pens, scented pens, troll pencil toppers (!), different designs of fountain pens etc!
I feel sorry for kids nowadays - high street shopping is so dull

Very nostalgic thread!
I was a teenager and student in the 70’s and it was a twice yearly trip with my mum and sister on the train to Nottingham c and A’s . I think we only had new “ outfits” twice a year, apart from our school uniform.
Loved Chelsea Hirl, wish I’d kept my Indian wrap round skirt as they are selling for £££££ on eBay. And Monsoon has my 1970’s maxi dresses in.
Loved Rackhams in Birmingham as a student and bought cheesecake for the first time in 1976 in their food hall.
Can anyone remember the group of shops/stalls all under one roof under the Tricorn in Portsmouth? I remember buying lovely floaty dresses there in the late 70’s.

Shoe shops used to be wonderful places to visit, I would see a pair of shoes, save up and buy them.

@Moonlightdust

I miss all of these; C&A, Morgan, Jane Norman, Tammy girl, Kookai, Bay,, La Senza, the Pier etc. Our city had an amazing Hovells (furniture/home store) on different levels. It was like a treasure trove and so interesting! Loved going with friends to The body shop, HMV and also a fabulous little shop that sold jewellery/hair accessories- my favourite memory was selecting all the mini crocodile butterfly hair clips that were the fashion then! Also those jelly bracelets - does anyone remember them?! I also miss all the individual shops which have now all sadly closed. Even choosing stationary was exciting - the era of giant fluffy pens, scented pens, troll pencil toppers (!), different designs of fountain pens etc! I feel sorry for kids nowadays - high street shopping is so dull

Blow up bubble bags! translucent so everyone could see your fluffy pen, centres lip gloss and little coin purse covered in embroidery.

Kiwi lip balm from The Body Shop
The Sock Shop
Promod (still online though)
Benetton.
I miss 90s shopping....

@Puffalicious

Flip was THE destination in late 80s/ early 90s Glasgow. My mate worked there and we paraded around like we were the bees knees as we were 'in' with the workers. My dad shook his head in despair as I'd waltz in with dungarees 5 sizes too big ('Did they belong to a greasy, 17 stone car mechanic'?) or ripped 501s with a bandana as a belt ('You can see your pants!'). Ah the memories. I also wore a German army shirt to my final, school exams, to the shock of the headteacher who just stared and shook his head . Those were the days.

Oh god i had one of those. Also loved German at school though. So.

I miss the 90s full stop. Just seems like it was a diffferent world back then compared to now. Sorry just being a bit nostalgic.

*Descending the escalators at the entrance of Oxford Circus Topshop into actual heaven.

*I remember going to uni in London in 1998 having grown up on a farm in Norfolk. Dear lord I can remember going down those escalators for the first time thinking "this is it, THIS is what I've come to London for"

@sausagepastapot

We had the best shop ever in my town, it was down Smelly Alley. Strawberry Fields it was called. Sold all types of jewellery including shag bands. Also drug paraphernalia like grinders etc. It was famous really, had such a good vibe and was so well loved...I really miss it!

@sausagepastapot On the right after R Soles if you were going towards Friar Street? Loved it. It’s where I got my first black nail varnish

I miss it as much as I miss Saffron Moon.

Oh I get you ..was so excited to go for a day to town for posters at Athena and the sale range at 'internationale' (I think it was called) ....bags galore on the bus back home with a prawn sandwich from m&s 😍

I know exactly what you mean about The Disney Store experience.

I loved The Pier too. I still have a throw on my bed from there. It needs replacing but I still love it! I think Sostrene Grene is probably the closest match too.

I loved Au Naturale home items and La Senza for underwear.

I loved the smell of Body Shop banana products.

Also didn’t realise Evolution was a chain.

Ahh Biba! I had the most wonderful purple suede boots and purple mini dress, with bell sleeves from there. Plum velvet coat and floppy hat… plastering myself in make up and hanging about in the roof garden, heaven! I still have their white silk pyjamas, not that I could fit into them now. There were some amazing independent shops in those days, notably Granny Takes a Trip at World's End, with refurbished hippy clothes and all sorts of home stuff.
I'd forgotten all about Spoils until it was mentioned upthread, but I used to love poking around in that place. I've still got some of their bistro cutlery and brightly coloured enamel teapot and mugs for camping.
Anyone remember Boodle-ams in Leeds? Wonderful tiny shop, rammed full of amazing period and hippy clothes. Sadly missed.
Glad to see Sarah Coggles in York getting a mention, is it still there?

I've shared this before, but this feels like a good place to share it again.

BEST INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT EVER

All the fashion pages make me so nostalgic for shops of yore.

That Instagram page is awesome!

Yes Bow Bangles - I've been trying think what that shop was called. Great memories

Am loving this thread especially all the Covent Garden reminiscences. Growing up in North London, my friends and I would go up to Covent Garden regularly from about the age of 12 or 13. We had hardly any pocket money and used to buy tea in a polystyrene cup from the market and sit on the cobbles holding it in our finger less gloved hands.

Am pretty sure there was a bead shop where you could buy individual beads and earring pieces to make your own earrings and also a stationers where we bought lovely individual sheets of coloured writing paper and envelopes for writing to our penpals and first loves (with SWALK on the back .

Loved loved loved Flip- remember buying an old men's full length wool coat circa 1984 and wearing it home, whereupon my DF exclaimed that I looked like Steptoe . Happy Days indeed.