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'.

You’re right @WutheringHeights66 I always think of Next in the 80s and 90s, their shops were so smart and inspirational to me as a teen. I bought my first work suits from there.

@WutheringHeights66

I’m older and I miss the 80s shops. Chelsea Girl and Miss Selfridge. Miss Selfridge had the best clothes but it was more expensive it also had a wonderful make up counter where the colours all had cute names like Little Piggy and came in white packaging with pink Miss Selfridge on them and they sold pyjamas with lipstick kisses on them.

I remember Chelsea Girl disappeared and was replaced by River Island and the stores were decked out like a Huckleberry Finn novel. River Island is hideous these days as is Miss Selfridge. I know I’m old but they were never so tacky, were they?

It's the Miss Selfridge lipstick kisses printed cotton dressing gowns I miss most. They were lovely crisp cotton. I never understood why Miss Selfridge haven't re-released them sporadically over the years as so many of us would have bought them. (That said, if they did, I imagine the quality and fabric would be dreadful).

I remember the old style River Island too with the heavy on the wood store design. I

Has Daniels gone?

It was a lovely shop

Pram bought in 1993

I love department stores and there were two in Liverpool when I was a student there. George Henry Lees was great for shopping if you could afford it but the cafe in Hendersons was something else. When art students cottoned that you could get afternoon tea for 4/6d ( sandwiches, two scones with jam and cream and a pastry) the lone elderly ladies got edged out by burly, bearded sculpture students in dungarees and their paint spattered girlfriends. It was quite a scene.

@Wnkingawalrus There was a documentary about that guy from the Athena poster. ( topless bloke with baby)

Apparently he was a prolific shagger in the 80’s in London. Slept with EVERYONE! Liz Hurley was one ( allegedly)

George Henry Lee was amazing. Bought some wedding bits in there. Loved Liverpool, travelled from Wales a couple of times a year to shop.

I remember Chelsea Girl disappeared and was replaced by River Island and the stores were decked out like a Huckleberry Finn novel

Oh yes I remember when River Island opened in my town and was all pastel paintings on the walls and polished wood everywhere. I remember begging for a dress from there for the Christmas disco which had little rosebuds embroidered on the sleeves and was so beautiful but it was £60 so sadly I didn't get it.

Yes I remember it too,late 80s, quite pretty stuff but didn't seem to fit/suit me

Going to a big woolworths and seeing all the toys, usually left with a stuffed unicorn or two when I was a little girl lol.
I collected about 6 or 7 different colours.

@DoubleGauze

Athena was very cool too.

Oh yes! Loved Athena and Pier 1 Imports as a child

I went to my local shopping centre last week and it was empty. I said to my kids that it used to be buzzing... Virgin Megastore that would sometimes have real life pop stars signing CDs! C&A - remember getting some tartan trousers there and a long black coat. The Sweater Shop - remember picking out a jumper for Christmas and literally dreaming about wearing it with my blue checked shirt underneath. Dolcis - wishing my mum would buy me shoes from Dolcis! Bay Trading Co, Jane Norman, Internacionale. I had a Saturday job at our little local New Look, bloody loved that 50% discount!

[quote FlatSusy]@DoubleGauze yes! Was that a Bristol thing or a chain?[/quote]
I remember just next to Debenhams!

Do you remember the furore of 'fcuk' T-shirts?

Disney store shut down just before Christmas here :-( loved walking around it when i was going seeing the huge mountain of toys. I got a Lady from the Lady and the tramp film and also bought the film on vhs. We also had Internationale where we would buy blow up seats!

Woolies. I worked for their head office and loved the place, so sad when it shut. It was doing ok but had money sucked out of it to save failing B&Q and didn't survive after that

My teen Saturdays were going out with £5, which was enough for a train ticket, McDonald's chips and drink, and a little something from Saffron Moon. Some people may know the town from that! Simpler times. A whole day of fun

@Inmyownlittlecorner

I grew up in Cheltenham & there was a pick & mix sweet shop in the local shopping arcade (not mall!). It had mirrored walls & bright lights & was full of puck & mix from ceiling to floor. It smelt amazing & no sweet has ever tasted as good as the ones I chose & put in the bright pink paper bag!

@Inmyownlittlecorner I believe it was called Confetti, I thought it was heaven. Also loved longplayer & Tammy Girl. Do you remember the toy shop that had a slide down to the ground floor? Near the Odeon.

@Dianaofthelakeofshiningwaters

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.

Yes!! I remember the bead / earring shop in Covent Garden - on same street as Cranks.

Grew up near Bromley and remember shopping there in the 80s pre-The Glades mall opening - Pepe Jeans shop (could never afford), French Connection (in sales) and Top Shop. Used to get the bus in to meet two friends there, buy some make-up in Woolworths (Mary Quant eyeshadow) then sit over (terrible) coffee in McDonalds SMOKING! They had ashtrays on every table...

Texas homecare - great stuff for our first home

Oh my god Texas Homecare - had completely forgotten about that one!

@TomAllenWife

Does anyone remember Snob? I bought a deep purple velour bustier from there that I hid from my mother. It was a very tarty shop and I loved it

Loved the sock shop too, bits of underwear in there

Body shop was awesome years ago, getting little gift baskets made up at the back of the shop for Xmas presents

I remember Snob! I didn't realise it was a chain though but have just googled and realised it was part of Etam group. I think ours closed down just before I was really old enough to shop there. By the time I outgrew Tammy I was shopping in Bay Trading, Topshop and what I think was an NI chain called Exhibit.

I really miss Debenhams

Am pretty sure there was a bead shop where you could buy individual beads and earring pieces to make your own earrings

In Edinburgh there was "Helios Fountain" lovely little shop in the Grassmarket that had beads and jewellery making equipment .
My DSis was artistic and made jewellery and clothes that skill passed me by sadly

and a little something from Saffron Moon

@starlilly88 - yup! It’s just not the same going up the escalator and finding a Wilko at the top!

I loved Athena, the Pier, and Past Times