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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Which defunct shops/restaurants do you miss the most?

534 replies

Hairbrush123 · 03/04/2022 22:16

For me, Topshop. Was really gutted when it closed down. Restaurant: Herman ze German. Expensive but always enjoyed the food!

OP posts:
Squiff70 · 06/04/2022 13:10

I can't work out how Poundland are still going! Two town centre stores near me have shut in recent years but they've opened what looks to be a massive one on an out-of-town retail park.

I used to go in regularly years ago as they had some genuine bargains that you couldn't get for a similar price elsewhere. More recently they been selling nothing but extremely poor quality tat and its actually hard to find things which are £1 in there as every item appears to have a different price. It's bonkers!

I haven't been in a Poundland in the last year and the last few times I went in before that I didn't buy anything.

AIBU?

user1497207191 · 06/04/2022 13:49

@Squiff70

I can't work out how Poundland are still going!

These cheaper shops, such as Poundland, Wilkinsons, B&M, HomeBargains, etc etc keep going because they tend to sell things that the major supermarkets don't sell.

We go into one or other of them weekly, mostly for things we can't get in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, etc. It's not a matter of cost, it's a matter of the ever-decreasing range of goods offered by the big supermarkets. They may be big, but there are lots of products they don't sell if you want something specific or not mainstream.

Newestname002 · 06/04/2022 13:59

I really like Poundland and am I there as often as I am in the other high street shops/supermarkets. Even with some recent price rises there are still bargains to be had in the range of products I buy. 🌹

Lunar27 · 06/04/2022 14:08

National Milk Bars. They did the best custard slices but alas no more.

Isitsixoclockalready · 06/04/2022 14:58

Athena and Woolworths.

JudgeJ · 06/04/2022 15:06

@Belkell

The place I really, really miss is the corn exchange in Manchester, before the IRA blew it up. I loved the poky dusty little shops selling books and crystals and goth clothes and army surplus. Blew my pocket money there many a time.

Afflecks (Palace) is still there, but it’s not the same 🙁

Oh yes, I recall going down below in the Corn Exchange and all the funky collectors' shops. I also recall the girls going to Afflecks' Palace. The used to be Tiggis in Bolton that did sublime seafood pancakes, I think that went a while back. Hope the lovely Polish shop is still in Bury Market, can't recall its name.

I wonder if a lot of these shops went under because of the rise of on;ine shopping, in which case it's all our own fault!

JudgeJ · 06/04/2022 15:12

@TeddyTrucks

Not a whole shop per se but Whittards in the early 90s sold these huge mugs with hand-painted animals on them. I had a snail one and a walrus one and they've both got broken over the years. I keep looking on ebay but in vain....😔
And their chocolate coated coffee beans, delicious and very interesting when you brushed your teeth later! I keep looking for pasta plates to replace their ones with writing on and can't find anything similar. I miss the Vantona factory shop from when they made their towels in England, so maybe 15-20 years back, fabulous colours and brilliant quality, still going very strong. Ditto the Dorma shop for bedding.
Pazuzu · 06/04/2022 15:42

A couple of these may be a case of IYKYK but...

Stolen from Ivor. Jeans etc that didn't cover just skinny fit or "deeply uncool dad" like Next seem to do.

Burtons. Not the trendy place it is now but the place you went to buy your first cheap suit.

Tiko Bakery. Pasty fillings hotter than the sun.

Woolies. Like a live action Amazon.

Jolly Giant Toys. Smyths just feels like a warehouse now, probably because I'm too old.

Who's next? WH Smith always feels dead whenever I've gone past the place and I have no idea how the high street part of it keeps going. Unless they can do some form of space share with Boots for example, I do worry.

Boots will survive from their core areas but I can see them massively downsizing the estate.

M&S? From what I've heard the food side of it is keeping them in the black. That and culling premises should see them ok.

KirstenBlest · 06/04/2022 15:52

I remember Stolen from Ivor. There was also Jean Jenies (IIRC). Went in to JJ once and the assistant looked at me and said I was a size 12. I've never been bigger than size 8 so I left and didn't go back

ruby1234 · 06/04/2022 15:54

@JohannSebastianBach

Athena for the lovely posters and calendars
Athena is still very much up and running - look on Etsy, Wayfair, eBay etc.
CounsellorTroi · 06/04/2022 16:00

I miss small independent clothing boutiques. They probably still exist in prosperous market towns, but a thing of the past in cities.

CurbsideProphet · 06/04/2022 16:07

Dorothy Perkins had a great petite section. So did Principles and Debenhams. The quality was also miles better than Boohoo.

Obviously Woolworths and the pick and mix. I still use the place where it was in my hometown as a focal point eg "it's opposite Woolies, well whatever is in that unit now".

bendmeoverbackwards · 06/04/2022 17:55

If anyone is from NW London, I loved Le Pop for cheap clothes and Etcetera for gifts, both on Golders Green Road.

Smokeahontas · 06/04/2022 22:48

@CounsellorTroi have you looked on the Trouva app? It’s mostly independent shops. I really like it.

FabFitFifties · 06/04/2022 23:09

Debenhams, Warehouse, Oasis, Coast, Topshop. From years ago our local department stores Binns and Joplings, BHS. Lovely cream cake and cheese counter with samples in BHS.

FloBot7 · 07/04/2022 09:06

I miss the M&S in our town centre purely for the food. It's going to be a massive B&M, just around

MissMarpleRocks · 07/04/2022 09:21

Ditto the Dorma shop for bedding
MIm pretty certain you can get dorma bedding in Dunelm.

PlainJaneEyre · 07/04/2022 09:37

@MissMarpleRocks

Ditto the Dorma shop for bedding MIm pretty certain you can get dorma bedding in Dunelm.
Yes and they have outlets.
CounsellorTroi · 07/04/2022 10:20

[quote Smokeahontas]@CounsellorTroi have you looked on the Trouva app? It’s mostly independent shops. I really like it.[/quote]
Thank you I will!

tillytoodles1 · 07/04/2022 13:05

I used to love eating in Berni Inns.

ThisOneIsHardWork · 07/04/2022 20:07

John Menzies!

Used to be one of my favourite shops as a child 😂

ComeSailAway · 07/04/2022 20:24

Another vote for Woolworths. I remember going there with my Mum over 50 years ago in the town where I was born. When I moved to my current abode I was thrilled to find a Woolworths on the High Street. Sadly it closed down very shortly thereafter.

ComeSailAway · 07/04/2022 20:25

And I still have a £45 Oasis gift card. More annoyed than missing the shop as I could never find anything I wanted.

Oneeata · 07/04/2022 22:22

Theres a few I really miss from years back and unsure if one or two were regional to us in the North East. Firstly is/was Geordie Jeans, secondly was a shop called What everyone wants and or The What Shop, Binns and Joplings department stores. It's such a shame, could go on and on.
Not exactly restaurants but I miss another North East cafe/bakery Carrick's. I can smell it if I close my eyes. 😌

FlorhamPark · 07/04/2022 22:31

@Pazuzu

A couple of these may be a case of IYKYK but...

Stolen from Ivor. Jeans etc that didn't cover just skinny fit or "deeply uncool dad" like Next seem to do.

Burtons. Not the trendy place it is now but the place you went to buy your first cheap suit.

Tiko Bakery. Pasty fillings hotter than the sun.

Woolies. Like a live action Amazon.

Jolly Giant Toys. Smyths just feels like a warehouse now, probably because I'm too old.

Who's next? WH Smith always feels dead whenever I've gone past the place and I have no idea how the high street part of it keeps going. Unless they can do some form of space share with Boots for example, I do worry.

Boots will survive from their core areas but I can see them massively downsizing the estate.

M&S? From what I've heard the food side of it is keeping them in the black. That and culling premises should see them ok.

OMG I loved Tiko 😊