I miss K-Mart, it was a great alternitive other than Wal-Mart, everyone was pleasant, in a good mood cuz you didn't have to fight anyone. you could take your time shopping and you could always find an employee. Man I loved the blue light specials.
K-mart in this area became a place with rows of chips and sodas, but the simple & common stuff you went for was out of stock. And the checkout lines were long & slow-moving. Really killed themselves.
I was so excited when we moved to TX and there was a Pier One there! I loved those stores until the last couple of years the one near me was still open. Maybe I finally had bought all the stuff my heart desired? I dunno..
I've _never_ been to a mall that didn't have a Sears or a JC Penny's. RadioShack, Hallmark, KB Toys, Walden Books, too. Just not the same without them.
I bought a Montgomery Ward microwave in the late 80s. I still use today. It works just as good today as it did when I bought it. You can't get things that last that long these days.
Border's was my favorite bookstore in the late 70's thru the 80's and I still have my Borders membership card. I purchased a lot of books from Borders over the years.
I miss Newberry 's, Woolworth's, Kresge 's, Grants 5 & 10 stores, they always had the best Halloween decorations and the best stocking stuffers at Christmas, with necessary household items, Zody's, Whitefront department stores, all gone...
Me too when our mom took us there to get our school shoes, Christmas, Easter shoes. Getting your foot measured & sales clerk would comeback with shoes. Helped you try them. Remember the shoe horn. 😊
Isn't that something. I know what you mean because I met my future husband at my first job. Everything good in my life can be traced back to that time and place: my husband, kids, and grandkids; everything I am right now. It must feel the same for you.
Since a few people mentioned Payless Shoes, being a former manager, I’ll mention some things- They were the first shoe company that got their shoes by finding cheap shoes manufacturers overseas, buying the product, and putting the Payless label on them. The company would assign a lot number to each style, keep a running total inventory, and would ship out cases of shoes for the shelves. As a manager, I had no say so in inventory (I couldn’t order shoes for instance), and I had no idea what shoes were coming until the truck pulled up and we opened the boxes. This was a new concept for retail back then (late 1980s). A lot of regular people didn’t get it. You would not believe the reactions I would get from customers when I tried to explain that I, as the manager of the store, could not order shoes and had no say so regarding the inventory.
Stupid idea then, stupid idea now. Managers should have some say in inventory. What is selling in seattle like hotcakes is a total flop in Portland Maine.
I would buy my shoes at Payless. There was ALWAYS a mother with at least one kid in there buying shoes. It was good that there was a place where parents could buy new shoes for their kids at a price they could afford. Many of my shoes that I wore as a kid I had to get from Goodwill second hand. So it was good to see parents being able to afford new shoes for their kids.
@MomentsInTrading kroger grocery store does this. It's stupid. The store doesn't get any say in what foods are sent to them. Fifty key lime pies but no banana pie. I can imagine the shoe stock was similar. Thank you for sharing. I did not know Payless did that.
The thing I don't understand about Sears is why they didn't get into online retail earlier. They always had a mail order catalog so going online with it would have seemed like the logical step. They could have been as big as Amazon if they had tried. But they spent all of their cash and remaining energy trying to make the K-mart deal work.
It’s a shame. I always said they should’ve stuck to the tool’s, hardware and large appliances. And cut out the rest. It also didn’t help that the tools started being manufactured outside the US. Oh,and that acquisition of Kmart. Huge mistake. Not that long ago I found a bag of craftsman screwdrivers and wrenches at my local thrift store all made in the US. My husband fell in love with me all over again. 😅
Those were the days. I remember going to the dime store with my grandmother back in the day. They use to have them steamed hamburger with slaw on them, i loved them things. But like everything else I feel that was good has vanished . I truly miss those days now that I'm older . As a kid we didn't know at the time how good simple life was. Most of us were in a big hurry to grow up and do those grown up things. For ever longing, peace 🙏
What I remember growing up (in the mid-Atlantic) that are no longer, were: Ames, Murphy's Mart, Toy Barn, Kresge's, Woolworth's, K-Mart , Hecht's, Hochschild Kohn's, Montgomery Ward, Kinney Shoes, Thom McAn Shoes, Fotomat, Radio Shack, Blockbuster Video, Comp USA, KB Toys, Linens and Things, Sport's Authority, B. Dalton Books, Tower Records, Toys (and Kids) R Us, Levitz Furniture, Luskin's, Farm Fresh, A&P, Hollywood Video, Bed Bath and Beyond, GNC, Jos. A. Bank's, JC Penny, and Sears. I probably missed a few as well.
I sure miss Western Auto. They had a wonderful assortment of merchandise. Auto parts, fishing and hunting supplies. I could spend a whole day in one of those stores just looking.
We moved to a small AL town as my first post as a young Army wife. I bought most of my housewares and Christmas presents at Western Auto our first year there. My husband bought an inexpensive rifle there and killed a lot of game for our table.
@markshade8398 as a former employee of Western Auto, they did not operate 'Yellow Front'. The operated two tire stores, NTB and I can't remember the other one. Sears owned Western Auto and brought it up to Chicago to be part of Sears.
@@amyreynolds3619 No. it was because their popularity was overtaken by other retailers in the US. There are American brands in Ecuador and Latin America that are not made here. They are made in the US and elsewhere.
I remember going into a Pier 1 back in around 1965. It had to be one of their earliest stores back then. I remember how interesting it was to see all kinds of goods from all around the world. Flash forward to the late 1990s. I went in expecting the same experience and was really disappointed. It had become a homogenized home store. Hardly the fun of the earlier experience. I can see why it died. It lost that early sense of adventure finding some treasure from a far away place.
I remember how cool their stuff was too. You said it exactly right. They became vanilla with just candles and overpriced pillows. I stopped shopping there. I’m amazed they are still in business.
I used to buy my shoes at Payless, I loved the small size of the stores. My mom used to work at the nursery in Builders Square in the 90's. I miss Radio Shack and Kmart.
Funny you mention both Radio Shack and Kmart. In Webster, MA, they just recently closed both of those stores (in the same plaza). Not in the last days or weeks, but within the last few years.
I really hate that Pier 1 is gone. They had the most unique household items and I loved shopping there. I also miss Eckerds. There was an Eckerds that was 24 hours in our community that everyone counted on anytime an issue came up, say at 4am. You could get medicine for a sick child, otc items for just about anything. Borders Books was a favorite too. So sad to see them go
Back when you didn't have to have at l.3east 1 Certified Pharmacy Tech on duty for a Drug Store, the one near me ALWAYS had at least one on 24/7! A great comfort when your first born is running a fever over 101 deg F! (~38.3 deg C) and even called ahead to the nearest well staffed Emergency Room if they thought it was serious enough. (i.e. not just a spike, but constant or getting worse for a few hours. (My next door neighbor asked me to drive since they knew I drove ambulances while I was in the US Navy), Believe me, I think I set a new speed record for the trip to the hospital! A few days afterwards, I asked them why they didn't believe me when I suggested going straight to the hospital... But the fact that the Certified Pharmacy Technician was so good and calm about the issue helped get their baby the needed help!!)
@@amyreynolds3619 They missed out on what could have kept them from going under. Selling that kind of stuff to us who remember that stuff in their stores back then. And younger people who would have thought the retro stuff was cool.
One of the best pair of dress shoes I have ever bought was at a Payless. The durability was amazing. In fact I bought much footwear from them over the years that held up very well.
I've gotten past the part about I've lost many of my regular stores to shop in...probably will never adjust to shopping online for clothes especially...but think about all the jobs lost from these closings, that the high school/college kids used to start out in...😥
Me too. I'm 71 now, and remember so many of these from over the years. Taking the bus and going downtown to the 5 and 10's, the department stores, Cherry & Webb, McWhirr's, Sears, as well as the smaller shops, then getting lunch at one of the lunch counters was a treat. This was in Fall River, Massachusetts, of Lizzie Borden came. All are gone now.
@@diannelavoie5385To go off subject a bit, ever seen the 1970s Elizabeth Montgomery film on Lizzie. I understand Montgomery was actually related to Borden somehow.
E.J.Korvette. My Mom worked in the dress department, and they had tons of classical records. I still have the classical records that my parents bought me.
I liked Borders and Circuit City. Borders had Seattle's Best coffee shops in them and their chocolate mocha's were the bomb. Circuit City was the place we went to for electronics. The salespeople were knowledgeable and they had a good selection at competitive prices. I didn't realize Pier One went under until I had my new home built a couple years ago and wanted to get a globe for my office. I drove to what used to be Pier One and discovered a cellphone store had taken ownership of the building. I still have the lamps I bought there, not lava, but decorative. People don't seem to care much for decorative items anymore, probably because nice stuff costs so damn much.
In my city we had a Thrifty's where you could get a one-scoop ice cream cone for 5 cents, and each additional scoop for 5 cents more, and they had this tool that made the scoops into perfect cylinders that didn't fall off the cone. A kid could make 2 dollars just mowing a lawn or helping with simple chores for less than an hour and and then ride their bike to Thrifty's and replenish the calories spent and have enough to save up for their car.
@@pianomaly9 I also worked at a Thrifty's, but in central California during the same time. I ran the liquor counter, and I was the ice cream dipper. 😁 You can actually BUY that unique Thrifty brand ice cream dipper online! In the town that I worked at Thrifty, the ice cream is still sold but at the Rite Aid drug store. Same quality ice cream but the prices are very much higher than when I scooped ice cream.
Thrifty bought out Sav-On and sold ice cream under the Sav-on name until Rite Aide bought Thrifty. Now theThrifty name is trying to make a come back. Also I miss Montgomery Wards stores.
I always liked Circuit City. It can be kind of sad looking back at what was, and talking about the demise of places we grew up with. Thank you, though, for the looks back in time that you provide.
My first job was at Circuit City in Bethesda, MD, back before they had the big stores. This one was more in line with the size of a Radio Shack, maybe slightly larger.
I was part of the Silicon Valley tech geek community in the late 80s & early 90s ... we used to say Fry's sold chips (the kind you built a computer with) and chips (snack food). We mourned them when they stopped selling DIY electronic parts, years before they went out of business.
My favorite mall in NYC used to be Green Acres...had my Sears, JC Penny's, Models, and Borders...used to take Wednesdays as vacation days at my job once in a while...would get to the mall when it opened 8/830, and was relatively empty, and quiet...hit my stores, got something to eat after shopping, then would head home to South Brooklyn by 11-12...was for me a nice shopping experience, and a relaxing day...I miss my stores, and my routine...😥
I mention some of the stores that are no longer to my Grandchildren and the first thing they say is "You can still shop on line ". What fun is there in that.
I remember western auto as the town next to my hometown had one. And my family used to go there a lot when I was a kid. I remember most of the chains mentioned in the video but a few of them I haven't heard of. I miss the old Sears and Roebuck's catalog.What was the Amazon before there ever was such an online site. Oh I forgot about the old Montgomery Wards and JC Penny and Leggett stores. Thank you for the memories with your videos.
I worked at a Western Auto, either part time or full time, from the time I graduated H.S. in 1967, to 1976. And then again in 1979. Although Western Auto didn't make anything, their firearms, lawn & garden equipment, appliances, and tires were very good quality. Their tools had a lifetime warranty. I still have many tools and a couple of firearms from there. I learned a lot there. I was not only a sales person, but I made deliveries and installations of appliances, some minor repair on appliances, mounted tires and fixed flats, installed shocks, mufflers, seat covers, , as well as numerous other forms of automotive repair. It actually was a good time of my life except for the pay I was getting. That's the main reason I left them.
I have shopped all but one of the chain stores you mentioned. That was a plus of living in metropolitan areas. Sad to see stores that you could have hands on shopping. Now living in the country I only have on-line shopping. sad to see how far well have gone down-hill
Used to go to Radio Shack every week with my friends to check out the new electronic stuff like walkie-talkies. This was back in 1965. By do I miss that store and those friends.
My pair of $30 snow boots I bought from Payless Shoes lasted me 15 years. Not only were they comfortable, they held up better than my other pricier boots. Things from China back then were made more durable than they are today.
What I probably remember the most about stores I'd frequent with my mom and grandma when I was little--Pier 1 Imports, Waldenbooks, Boston Store (and the 'secret' restaurant in the back of the Boston Store we went to)--is the way that they smelled. Olfactory memory is a beautiful thing.
Most of these retailers were suburban landmark/icons of later middle age, although none of them were shopped in regularly except for perhaps Payless. My wife's uncle ran the Western Auto in Blythe, Ca. Our history being devoured by the grim march of "progress".
I remember all of those stores well and shopped at most of them with my parents when I was a kid. Another family favorite was Kresge’s. I bought my first stuffed animal, a little lion, there.
@@julenepegher6999 "Attention K-Mart shoppers: Our Blue Light Special is featuring 50% on all boys apparel for the next 15 minutes. Look for the flashing blue light in the boys apparel section. And as always thank you for shopping K-Mart!" Memories
Some names I know from the past: Thriftimart, Western Auto, W.T. Grant, F.W. Woolworth, Cornet, Builders Emporium, Handyman, Grossman's, Blue Chip Stamps, S&H Green Stamps, Gemco, Gottschalk's, Home Club/Home Base, Alpha Beta, Sprouse-Reitz. The best store ever was AFCO, which to my knowledge had only two locations. It was a wonderful place that sold furniture, TVs, sporting goods, auto parts, small appliances, clothing, and almost anything else except groceries.
Borders was my favorite book store until 9-11. I would go to the one in NYC and across the street from it was a used book store stuffed with old books at a decent price. I was sad to hear that Borders closed.
I grew up in Dallas TX, during the 60's and 70's< I remember most of these store doing business in Dallas during this time. It's extremely sad to see stores from your teen years going under, and , I have to say, seeing Pier 1 go under was very sad for me. There was another large box store also and I can't remember their name. My 65 yr old mind just putters along and doesn't help much any more! Thank you for your videos! Bless my precious daughter! She reminded me it was Hastings. they sold music and novelties, and in the teens, we lived in Boise, ID, and the Hastings store. went out of business.
My (now 71 year-old) wife used to LOVE Pier 1. They started out supplying hippies, but moved up in the world to supplying things on the eclectic side, I think. I haven't missed that shit since I was in college in the seventies. Thankfully, now we're a little more high class. Now she laments the loss of Bed Bath & Beyond and Christmas Tree Shops. Ugh! The world has certainly changed in the last 50 years. (I actually remember buying a bicycle and a kids' pinball machine from Western Auto.)
I really miss Payless Shoes Source and Borders. I shopped there often! I worked at a Circuit City in the late 90’s while I was in college. I miss movie rental places as well although I didn’t have a Family Video by me.
Hearing about Western Auto made me check a location in Seaford VA that I used many times in the early 2000s. It seems to have survived . Great Video thanks! Cheers poko
Another store that I remember is Mr. Wiggs. It was a regional discount department store chain that was eventually acquired by the Hecks chain which, I believe also went bankrupt. In the Pier One segment, there's a Hobby Center store pictured next to a Pier One. I don't know how big the Hobby Center chain actually was but, we had one in my small hometown. It was always well stocked with plastic model kits and supplies. I loved that store! It's been gone for many years though.
Here in the North East we've lost many beloved stores. Lechmeres (sp?), Jordan Marsh, Filienes, Benny's, Ames, Stuart's, Bradlees, Zayres, Kings and to top it off - Christmas Tree Stores.😢
I'm in Southeastern Massachusetts. So many stores gone now that I used to shop at. Only Wal-Mart, Target and maybe a Marshalls. After that, it's online, which I hate since I like to actually see what I'm buying, and in the case of clothes, try on.
PayLessShoes .... I miss them terribly. I could always count on them for a good pair of durable work shoes. And with the BOGO deal, I'd buy two of the same pair of shoes at times. They'll never be duplicated. ☹
Dang it i miss payless we were pretty poor growing up so all I got was thrift stuff going to payless for actual sturdy shoes once every 6 mo was a treat and yup we liked ekerds it was cheap and the pharmacist always worked their best for a cheap medicine option and we have one place in my hometown that does physical dvd rentals but it's a game and music and movies trading place either cash or credit and they make their money catering to folks that want nostalgia and they seem to do pretty well😊
I miss Borders. I could spend hours in there. I also liked Pier 1, but I can get a lot of the same things at World Market. I watched the Eckerd's here turn into Rite-Aids. Then a lot of the Rite-Aids became Walgreens, except the one in my town. That building was a Halloween store for a while and is now a martial arts studio. We already had a Walgreens so that's why. Another nearby Rite-Aid is now a Goodwill because that town also already had a Walgreens.
Back in the '70s, there was a Western Auto in my neighborhood. Right next to the A&P. I used to buy tubes and patch kits for my bicycle tires with money I earned from my paper route (remember paper routes? Do they still even have newspapers?). Pop bought tools and a lawn mower there. Memories
I used to love going to Western Auto ad a kid. The small town we were in had one. It had the hardwood floors and sold the cool Western Flyer sleds and the little wagons and such. It made me sad when they were gone. I also liked Circuit City better than Best Buy, and was very upset when they closed.
Payless was where we bought almost all our kids shoes. They also had really good men's sandals, which are very hard to find. One of the few stores to stock wide sizes. I really miss them. Pier 1 was always such an interesting store to walk around and browse. Eckerd is one store I don't miss. I had bad experiences there with rude and agressive sales people. Every local Eckerd store eventually became a CVS.
I always chuckled when I saw the Fry's Electronics ads and signs because they were a grocery chain first in California and then changed! The little happy shopping bag became a happy computer chip instead! Haha! I always liked Cost Plus World Markets a little more because they were just a bit less expensive and also carried real foods and great treats! Mervyns was one I had a rocky but nice relationship with over the years as their inventory was a bit dated but they did have some nice deals on basics. By the end they got better buyers and gave me a decent line of credit but turned around and closed - no longer accepting their own card for clearance goods!
Channel, Rickles, Korvettes, Two Guys, Bradlees, Caldors, Playtogs, The Wiz. I know these stores are more regional, but they were definitely a huge part of the community and childhood memories.😊
Grant’s, Woolworth, Woolco, Ben Franklin when I was a kid. Dressed myself for 20 years out of JC Penny & Ames. Sears was the best, they had everything. I still have a coat my parents gave me from there when I was 18. I am 63 now. It’s not just the stores, but the quality of everything they sold. Local stores that were here for 100 years & went out in the 90s were Miller & Rhoads and Thalhimer’s. Loved those, so classy! Now I don’t even have Peebles, that’s the most recent closure where I am. And Payless shoes was the best because I wear wide size, easy to find shoes there. A mall close to us that opened in the 80s shut down about 3 years ago, really sad. Spent a lot of time in B. Dalton Books & Penneys. I really miss Pier One & BedBB now. But we still have a stinkin Walmart, and it sucks.
i live in Albuquerque we all miss Hastings entertainment dvd rental,books and cds always busy but when they closed we were all sad. When i came to America in the 1990s as a foreign exchange student from Japan my then boyfriend now husband always took me there so we all can rent and watch videos. sad to see things go after so many excellent years!
I moved to a small city in northern Minnesota in 2000. I checked out downtown. On the corner was a Maytag appliance store. Next to it was a Western Auto store. Next to that was a Ben Franklin store. There was a shoe store downtown. No Walmart in town, but there was a Sears. It was as if I'd gone back to 1960.
The rush to enrich stockholders and upper management, Moving around assets to enrich themselves, and their friends, taking advantage of every tax loophole and don’t even get started on fortifying the golden parachutes might have more to do with these closures
Not exactly - The main problem with all these chains is that people stopped shopping there. The formula for success is (A) Figure out what people want and (B) Give them what they want. Part (B) is easy, but part (A) is extremely difficult and that's what causes most business failures.
Only when it's terminal. The biggest problem is not adapting to the market place and staying relevant to customers. If you fail to stay relevant to customers they will wander away. Getting customers is very hard, keeping them isn't easy but once you lose them they rarely come back.
The mention of Eckerds closing hits home because now Rite-Aid is filing for bankruptcy, (also taking out Bartell Drugs in the Pac NW). Rite-Aid had also swallowed up another Payless, the old Thrifty/Payless Drugs chain back in the '90s
As a kid, I grew up in Sunnyvale, California. Before Fry's Electronics, there was Fry's grocery stores. My mother worked as a checkout clerk there. When all the Fry's food stores finally closed, the son of the owner of that chain started Fry's Electronics. I'm glad Fry's Electronics finally closed. I met the owner. He was a self-centered, rude prick.
I was born and raised in Phoenix, and we had Fry's Food Stores for as long as I can remember. Fry's was also in Tucson, and I think they had stores in Flagstaff as well. Fry's Food stores are still in Arizona, but they are now part of Kroger. The story I heard about Fry's Electronics was that is was the same family, but a different branch.
I was so bummed when the nearby Fry's Electronics store closed for good. I shopped there often for my computer, audio and electronics needs. It's now a COSTCO. 😪
They _deserved_ to go. Empty shelves, bad service, and they sold me a refurbished laptop that became an oversized doorstop in less than two years. Good riddance!
I bought the current TV in my living room there 11 years ago. I remember the guy saying there were 200,000 aps available which I seriously doubted but even if there were, whose going to look through them all?
@@real_exodusthat was really just at the end, the empty shelves and no inventory. For years, they were a great place to buy electronics, especially oddball computer components.
Honestly they committed suicide through intentional disregard. Unlike some stores that went defunct, it wasn't about a strategy that became flawed, but having none at all.
Another popular store was Service Merchandise. I'm not sure when they closed, maybe early 90s? You would find something and turn in your order and then pick it up. I also worked for TG&Y headquarters here in Oklahoma City in the early 80s. They were a big retail chain as well. Miss those stores
The Circuit City store in Rockford Illinois is now a Halloween store during October and a Salvation Army Holiday store in November and December. It is not occupied during the rest of the year.
Trader Horn… Rickels… and Bradlee’s were an appliance store… a hardware store… and department store… along with Sterns… EJ Korvettes… Newberry’s in NJ… now all gone!
I miss Payless Shoes, and Western Auto. The old Western Auto bldg here in KC has been turned into some really high dollar apartments. I also miss Woolworths.... they had the best Halloween decorations, and Christmas. I still have some old decorations from there. The boxes have long since fallen apart, but the decorations are still pretty, and are used yearly
OTASCO was a good store...i bought my first hunting rifle there ...30/30 winchester..99 dollars ..;i walked in with my money at 12 yrs old and walked out with my first deer rifle. great days in america!
I feel our country died when Circuit City, Eckerds, Mervyns went bankrupt and liquidated, I was so upset when the company I first worked for, CC went out of business and also upset when Rite Aid closed down the former Eckerds store in my neighborhood! That closure left many people having to go far to another drugstore for their prescriptions and other health care products!
@@Mick_Ts_Chick Eckerd was really good, not only were they a good drugstore! They had soft serve ice cream, video game arcades, and they had vending machines. Once CVS and Rite Aid took over, they removed them out of the store!
Well, I’ve seen Payless today in the mall where we live. They are still a thing in many countries. Pier 1 could have done better if they lowered their prices or gotten better quality items.
Payless Shoesource and Toys R Us are still in the Philippines. Claire's also came to the Philippines (they opened two stores in my city - one was in a mall but the mall's target market were lower income people while the other smaller store was outside an open air mall instead of inside where most of the high end shops lined up). I know Claire's but many Filipino children don't (excluding the expat American children living here). I think they only lasted from 2013 - 2015. I went to the latter smaller store and saw the price of a single bracelet (it was 425 Php - no middle income parent would buy that bracelet for their child)
So sad to see all these old stores disappear, and with them, so many memories attached. When I was a kid living in the rural South, we spent many moments shopping in the nearby Western Auto Then, they gave credit, and it was one of the only ways we as poor dirt farmers could buy various household items, appliances or car/farm parts and tires. Even some sporting goods the owner would let us buy and pay weekly or monthly. The local owner was a really nice guy who understood the local economic stresses so many lived under, and if you could not make that week's or month's payment, he would extend it knowing it would be paid. So much from our past has disappeared, and many items today are just Chinese junk with a brand name attached. Things that were once high quality made in America items have become cheap plastic parts that break in short order. So many businesses and factories have closed and so many small towns are dying.
I used to shop at Frys but would get suspicious when buying an item in a sealed box as they would often resell damaged returned items. Another DIY type store from the early 2000's? was House 2 Home. They were kind of pricey and the only location I ever knew was in Irvine, California. Builders Emporium and Oles were favorites my Dad always went to.
I loved Payless Shoes and really miss it! Great prices! Plus, they carried a lot of small size women's shoes in size 5 and 5 1/2 . ( my size.) Most shoe stores now in the malls do not carry very many shoes in that size but Payless always had a lot. I also loved Borders and bought books, music related magazines and music CD'S.
Payless Shoe Source was a blessing for me. I was able to keep shoes on my kids' feet for almost two decades without busting my limited budget.
Wait....I went in there when they were closing, and everything was 40% off, or something like that. They were still more expensive than Walmart.
I used to go to Payless all the time because I could never find shoes for my size elsewhere.
They are still open in Trinidad
I disliked Payless. Poor quality shoes and completely overpriced for the junk they were selling.
Still open in Singapore and Malaysia.
Toys R Us...as a middled aged, out of touch, grump, it was a godsend for Christmas and birthday times for my friend's kids gifts...😁
you don't sound like much of a grump if you were buying gifts for friends kids......
I miss K-Mart, it was a great alternitive other than Wal-Mart, everyone was pleasant, in a good mood cuz you didn't have to fight anyone. you could take your time shopping and you could always find an employee. Man I loved the blue light specials.
Same. Can't stand WallyWorld. K-Mart was my go to for shopping without the craziness.
K-mart in this area became a place with rows of chips and sodas, but the simple & common stuff you went for was out of stock. And the checkout lines were long & slow-moving. Really killed themselves.
K-Mart had less selection and ran bogus sales where they didn't actually have the items.
me to it was realxing place to be like a second Home to me you know i liked everything they had wish it was around today so many memories
That's a 'Key-3' comment! There's a blue light special for our submarine sandwiches!
I can't believe Pier 1 is gone. They had a lot of beautiful things.
I miss Pier 1 so much. I have furniture that I purchased there that has lasted for years. I loved the smell of all of their stores.
It’s so weird. I love Pier 1 but then I never purchased anything from them.
Over priced , cheap shit! Glad they are gone. There candles where nice.
I was so excited when we moved to TX and there was a Pier One there! I loved those stores until the last couple of years the one near me was still open. Maybe I finally had bought all the stuff my heart desired? I dunno..
What about Cost Plus World Market? They are still around.
Radio Shack, Montgomery Ward, JC Penney, FW Woolworth and Sears Roebuck and Company as the department store and catalog company it used to be !:-) 🙏
I was surprised Radio Shack didn’t make the list.
Miss all of these, plus Toys 'r' Us, Pharmore, and Best. Will miss Bed, Bath and Beyond.
I've _never_ been to a mall that didn't have a Sears or a JC Penny's. RadioShack, Hallmark, KB Toys, Walden Books, too. Just not the same without them.
We still have our JC Penney in my little city, the last anchor we have left
I bought a Montgomery Ward microwave in the late 80s. I still use today. It works just as good today as it did when I bought it. You can't get things that last that long these days.
Border's was my favorite bookstore in the late 70's thru the 80's and I still have my Borders membership card. I purchased a lot of books from Borders over the years.
They had a great coffee bar.
whats a "book" ?
I also miss the Seattle's Best Coffee café in there.
I miss Newberry 's, Woolworth's, Kresge 's, Grants 5 & 10 stores, they always had the best Halloween decorations and the best stocking stuffers at Christmas, with necessary household items, Zody's, Whitefront department stores, all gone...
Woolworths lives on in Mexico
I miss Woolworths as well. The smell of the fries cooking at the snack bar brings back memories
My mom worked for Woolwoth and then Woolco after Woolworths changed over. Those were great times.
@@thebestchannel5456 that's true, l heard that
Newburys had the best cassette and record selection ever!❤
I miss Kinney Shoes. It was my first job and that is how I met my husband. All the important moments of my life Kinney Shoes play a roll in my life.
Me too when our mom took us there to get our school shoes, Christmas, Easter shoes. Getting your foot measured & sales clerk would comeback with shoes. Helped you try them. Remember the shoe horn. 😊
Isn't that something. I know what you mean because I met my future husband at my first job. Everything good in my life can be traced back to that time and place: my husband, kids, and grandkids; everything I am right now. It must feel the same for you.
Most of my family worked at Kinney Shoes at one time or another. Good place to buy shoes.
Since a few people mentioned Payless Shoes, being a former manager, I’ll mention some things-
They were the first shoe company that got their shoes by finding cheap shoes manufacturers overseas, buying the product, and putting the Payless label on them.
The company would assign a lot number to each style, keep a running total inventory, and would ship out cases of shoes for the shelves.
As a manager, I had no say so in inventory (I couldn’t order shoes for instance), and I had no idea what shoes were coming until the truck pulled up and we opened the boxes.
This was a new concept for retail back then (late 1980s). A lot of regular people didn’t get it. You would not believe the reactions I would get from customers when I tried to explain that I, as the manager of the store, could not order shoes and had no say so regarding the inventory.
I totally miss Payless Shoes.....broke my ❤.
Stupid idea then, stupid idea now. Managers should have some say in inventory. What is selling in seattle like hotcakes is a total flop in Portland Maine.
I would buy my shoes at Payless. There was ALWAYS a mother with at least one kid in there buying shoes. It was good that there was a place where parents could buy new shoes for their kids at a price they could afford. Many of my shoes that I wore as a kid I had to get from Goodwill second hand. So it was good to see parents being able to afford new shoes for their kids.
This is accurate and other store managers, food, clothing, etc., complained of the same lack of choice in buying.
@MomentsInTrading kroger grocery store does this. It's stupid. The store doesn't get any say in what foods are sent to them. Fifty key lime pies but no banana pie. I can imagine the shoe stock was similar. Thank you for sharing. I did not know Payless did that.
Such a shame so many are gone. I loved Sears especially the tool department.
Amen Brother!! I couldn’t agree more. I’d give you 10 thumbs up if it would let me!!
I miss the quality of their original Craftsmen tools, which are now just cheap Chinese made tools sold at various stores.
The thing I don't understand about Sears is why they didn't get into online retail earlier. They always had a mail order catalog so going online with it would have seemed like the logical step. They could have been as big as Amazon if they had tried. But they spent all of their cash and remaining energy trying to make the K-mart deal work.
It’s a shame. I always said they should’ve stuck to the tool’s, hardware and large appliances. And cut out the rest. It also didn’t help that the tools started being manufactured outside the US. Oh,and that acquisition of Kmart. Huge mistake.
Not that long ago I found a bag of craftsman
screwdrivers and wrenches at my local thrift store all made in the US. My husband fell in love with me all over again. 😅
Oooo, oooo, oooo.
Those were the days. I remember going to the dime store with my grandmother back in the day. They use to have them steamed hamburger with slaw on them, i loved them things. But like everything else I feel that was good has vanished .
I truly miss those days now that I'm older . As a kid we didn't know at the time how good simple life was. Most of us were in a big hurry to grow up and do those grown up things.
For ever longing, peace 🙏
...and you could actually find items there for under, or a dime.
@@22ergie 👍👍
I’m in total agreement with you on this!!!
Steamed hams? Are you from upstate new york? Do you sometimes see the northern lights in your kitchen? 🤔
@@generalzod7959 as a matter of fact I can 😲.
What I remember growing up (in the mid-Atlantic) that are no longer, were: Ames, Murphy's Mart, Toy Barn, Kresge's, Woolworth's, K-Mart , Hecht's, Hochschild Kohn's, Montgomery Ward, Kinney Shoes, Thom McAn Shoes, Fotomat, Radio Shack, Blockbuster Video, Comp USA, KB Toys, Linens and Things, Sport's Authority, B. Dalton Books, Tower Records, Toys (and Kids) R Us, Levitz Furniture, Luskin's, Farm Fresh, A&P, Hollywood Video, Bed Bath and Beyond, GNC, Jos. A. Bank's, JC Penny, and Sears. I probably missed a few as well.
GNC is still in bidness. Hechingers was also in the mid atlantic.
You're nailing it!
Jamesway
I liked County Seat in the malls. Tons of jeans!
I miss these stores so much. I miss shopping. Actual shopping. Not just ordering things online. Sad world we live in now.
I sure miss Western Auto. They had a wonderful assortment of merchandise. Auto parts, fishing and hunting supplies. I could spend a whole day in one of those stores just looking.
We moved to a small AL town as my first post as a young Army wife. I bought most of my housewares and Christmas presents at Western Auto our first year there. My husband bought an inexpensive rifle there and killed a lot of game for our table.
I think they also operated "Yellow Front", which was a store similar to TG&Y.
@markshade8398 as a former employee of Western Auto, they did not operate 'Yellow Front'. The operated two tire stores, NTB and I can't remember the other one. Sears owned Western Auto and brought it up to Chicago to be part of Sears.
I’m an American living in Ecuador and Payless Shoe stores are very popular here and all over the place so they didn’t go out of business completely.
They still have a website where you can buy their shoes.
I'm here in the Philippines and they're in a lot of the malls throughout the country.
Probably because most of the shoes are made in your area of the world or in Asian or Africa.
We also have Payless shoes here in Australia
@@amyreynolds3619 No. it was because their popularity was overtaken by other retailers in the US. There are American brands in Ecuador and Latin America that are not made here. They are made in the US and elsewhere.
Rexall Drug was in every small town when I was growing up. They disappeared in such a short time.
We still have Rexall Drugs in Canada.
Dollar General carries Rexall brand items.
I have seen none in the US.
I remember going into a Pier 1 back in around 1965. It had to be one of their earliest stores back then. I remember how interesting it was to see all kinds of goods from all around the world. Flash forward to the late 1990s. I went in expecting the same experience and was really disappointed. It had become a homogenized home store. Hardly the fun of the earlier experience. I can see why it died. It lost that early sense of adventure finding some treasure from a far away place.
I remember how cool their stuff was too. You said it exactly right. They became vanilla with just candles and overpriced pillows. I stopped shopping there. I’m amazed they are still in business.
I wanted to say the same thing, but you beat me to it.
Big difference from back then. It was a fun place to shop.
We've still got a set of bar stool/director's chairs from there. My wife and I picked them up after a house fire we were rebuilding after.
Same here. It was so exciting and fun.
I used to buy my shoes at Payless, I loved the small size of the stores. My mom used to work at the nursery in Builders Square in the 90's. I miss Radio Shack and Kmart.
Funny you mention both Radio Shack and Kmart. In Webster, MA, they just recently closed both of those stores (in the same plaza). Not in the last days or weeks, but within the last few years.
I really hate that Pier 1 is gone. They had the most unique household items and I loved shopping there. I also miss Eckerds. There was an Eckerds that was 24 hours in our community that everyone counted on anytime an issue came up, say at 4am. You could get medicine for a sick child, otc items for just about anything. Borders Books was a favorite too. So sad to see them go
There's now Hobby Lobby, but it's NOT as unique as Pier 1.
Back when you didn't have to have at l.3east 1 Certified Pharmacy Tech on duty for a Drug Store, the one near me ALWAYS had at least one on 24/7!
A great comfort when your first born is running a fever over 101 deg F! (~38.3 deg C) and even called ahead to the nearest well staffed Emergency Room if they thought it was serious enough.
(i.e. not just a spike, but constant or getting worse for a few hours. (My next door neighbor asked me to drive since they knew I drove ambulances while I was in the US Navy), Believe me, I think I set a new speed record for the trip to the hospital! A few days afterwards, I asked them why they didn't believe me when I suggested going straight to the hospital... But the fact that the Certified Pharmacy Technician was so good and calm about the issue helped get their baby the needed help!!)
Okc based hobby lobby tried to cheat the system during the pandemic. They are a horribly run company
Borders was also connected to waldenbooks.
We had Eckerds; been gone some years now.
Thanks recollection road for making me miss these days more and more each time I watch a video😂😢❤
I remember Pier One's early days. Black light posters, Lava Lamps, etc...Bring back the 60's
They should have went back to selling stuff like that instead.
Times change. Acknowledge that or lose your business.
@@amyreynolds3619 They missed out on what could have kept them from going under. Selling that kind of stuff to us who remember that stuff in their stores back then. And younger people who would have thought the retro stuff was cool.
One of the best pair of dress shoes I have ever bought was at a Payless. The durability was amazing. In fact I bought much footwear from them over the years that held up very well.
Most of the stores mentioned were a large part of my life from childhood to middle age. It's sad they're gone.
I've gotten past the part about I've lost many of my regular stores to shop in...probably will never adjust to shopping online for clothes especially...but think about all the jobs lost from these closings, that the high school/college kids used to start out in...😥
Me too. I'm 71 now, and remember so many of these from over the years. Taking the bus and going downtown to the 5 and 10's, the department stores, Cherry & Webb, McWhirr's, Sears, as well as the smaller shops, then getting lunch at one of the lunch counters was a treat. This was in Fall River, Massachusetts, of Lizzie Borden came. All are gone now.
I grew up with these stores. I miss them!
@@diannelavoie5385To go off subject a bit, ever seen the 1970s Elizabeth Montgomery film on Lizzie. I understand Montgomery was actually related to Borden somehow.
E.J.Korvette. My Mom worked in the dress department, and they had tons of classical records. I still have the classical records that my parents bought me.
They were wonderful stores!!! As you said, best record selection!
I remember Korvettes. We had one in our town.
I liked Borders and Circuit City. Borders had Seattle's Best coffee shops in them and their chocolate mocha's were the bomb. Circuit City was the place we went to for electronics. The salespeople were knowledgeable and they had a good selection at competitive prices. I didn't realize Pier One went under until I had my new home built a couple years ago and wanted to get a globe for my office. I drove to what used to be Pier One and discovered a cellphone store had taken ownership of the building. I still have the lamps I bought there, not lava, but decorative. People don't seem to care much for decorative items anymore, probably because nice stuff costs so damn much.
Who remembers Hollywood video?
Much better than blockbuster
I remember most of these stores. Great video.
In my city we had a Thrifty's where you could get a one-scoop ice cream cone for 5 cents, and each additional scoop for 5 cents more, and they had this tool that made the scoops into perfect cylinders that didn't fall off the cone. A kid could make 2 dollars just mowing a lawn or helping with simple chores for less than an hour and and then ride their bike to Thrifty's and replenish the calories spent and have enough to save up for their car.
Worked at several Thrifty's in southern Ca. in 1980-81. Another popular go-to place I'd known since childhood gone.
One scoop at our local Baskin-Robins is now $4.50.
@@pianomaly9 I also worked at a Thrifty's, but in central California during the same time. I ran the liquor counter, and I was the ice cream dipper. 😁 You can actually BUY that unique Thrifty brand ice cream dipper online! In the town that I worked at Thrifty, the ice cream is still sold but at the Rite Aid drug store. Same quality ice cream but the prices are very much higher than when I scooped ice cream.
Thrifty bought out Sav-On and sold ice cream under the Sav-on name until Rite Aide bought Thrifty. Now theThrifty name is trying to make a come back. Also I miss Montgomery Wards stores.
I always liked Circuit City.
It can be kind of sad looking back at what was, and talking about the demise of places we grew up with.
Thank you, though, for the looks back in time that you provide.
Yes I'd like circuit City better than Best buy when I could get what I needed from them I'd rather go there
I used to love Circuit City. Too bad the company was run by idiots.
The other one I remember was Silo.
My first job was at Circuit City in Bethesda, MD, back before they had the big stores. This one was more in line with the size of a Radio Shack, maybe slightly larger.
When Home Depot started selling major appliances, it was all over for CC. Even the employees knew it.
I miss Western Auto & Pier 1. My first apartment after college was virtually all furnished with Pier 1 merch.
I was part of the Silicon Valley tech geek community in the late 80s & early 90s ... we used to say Fry's sold chips (the kind you built a computer with) and chips (snack food).
We mourned them when they stopped selling DIY electronic parts, years before they went out of business.
I remember all of these 😉 some i didn't even know don't exist anymore. Thanks for the trip down memory lane ✌️
My favorite mall in NYC used to be Green Acres...had my Sears, JC Penny's, Models, and Borders...used to take Wednesdays as vacation days at my job once in a while...would get to the mall when it opened 8/830, and was relatively empty, and quiet...hit my stores, got something to eat after shopping, then would head home to South Brooklyn by 11-12...was for me a nice shopping experience, and a relaxing day...I miss my stores, and my routine...😥
I mention some of the stores that are no longer to my Grandchildren and the first thing they say is "You can still shop on line ". What fun is there in that.
@@Marvinwalker-ud3yoforget the fun...I'm stuck in my ways...need to be in the store trying on any clothing I buy...🤔
I remember most of these. Surprised some have been gone as long as they have. Nice video.
I remember central hardware, savemart, Kmart, and home quarters, venture as well. Miss these stores
I remember western auto as the town next to my hometown had one. And my family used to go there a lot when I was a kid. I remember most of the chains mentioned in the video but a few of them I haven't heard of. I miss the old Sears and Roebuck's catalog.What was the Amazon before there ever was such an online site. Oh I forgot about the old Montgomery Wards and JC Penny and Leggett stores. Thank you for the memories with your videos.
I worked at a Western Auto, either part time or full time, from the time I graduated H.S. in 1967, to 1976. And then again in 1979. Although Western Auto didn't make anything, their firearms, lawn & garden equipment, appliances, and tires were very good quality. Their tools had a lifetime warranty.
I still have many tools and a couple of firearms from there. I learned a lot there. I was not only a sales person, but I made deliveries and installations of appliances, some minor repair on appliances, mounted tires and fixed flats, installed shocks, mufflers, seat covers, , as well as numerous other forms of automotive repair. It actually was a good time of my life except for the pay I was getting. That's the main reason I left them.
I have shopped all but one of the chain stores you mentioned. That was a plus of living in metropolitan areas. Sad to see stores that you could have hands on shopping. Now living in the country I only have on-line shopping. sad to see how far well have gone down-hill
Awesome video 👍 bring all the good stores back ❤
There was another hardware store - Hechinger's that went out of business in 1999. It had stores in DC, MD and VA
And in Pennsylvania.
I remember when they tried opening one in my hometown in CT. Didn't last very long. This early 90s maybe.
There was also a Home Depot clone called Home Quarters where I lived in Birmingham which I actually liked better than Home Depot.
I remember them; and then when Home Depot came around, Hechinger jacked up their prices sky high, and everyone went to HD!.
I loved Hechingers. I was mad when Lame Depot came around and put them out of business.
Used to go to Radio Shack every week with my friends to check out the new electronic stuff like walkie-talkies. This was back in 1965. By do I miss that store and those friends.
My pair of $30 snow boots I bought from Payless Shoes lasted me 15 years. Not only were they comfortable, they held up better than my other pricier boots. Things from China back then were made more durable than they are today.
What I probably remember the most about stores I'd frequent with my mom and grandma when I was little--Pier 1 Imports, Waldenbooks, Boston Store (and the 'secret' restaurant in the back of the Boston Store we went to)--is the way that they smelled. Olfactory memory is a beautiful thing.
Most of these retailers were suburban landmark/icons of later middle age, although none of them were shopped in regularly except for perhaps Payless. My wife's uncle ran the Western Auto in Blythe, Ca. Our history being devoured by the grim march of "progress".
I remember all of those stores well and shopped at most of them with my parents when I was a kid. Another family favorite was Kresge’s. I bought my first stuffed animal, a little lion, there.
Kmart suffered from poor management and has closed all but 3 stores in the lower 48 states
I thought they merged with Sears?
@@zsigzsag yes, Kmart bought Sears but Sears Holdings went bankrupt in 2018 and a handful of stores remain open in America
Kmart was a great store!
I loved K Mart !
@@julenepegher6999 "Attention K-Mart shoppers: Our Blue Light Special is featuring 50% on all boys apparel for the next 15 minutes. Look for the flashing blue light in the boys apparel section. And as always thank you for shopping K-Mart!" Memories
Some names I know from the past: Thriftimart, Western Auto, W.T. Grant, F.W. Woolworth,
Cornet, Builders Emporium, Handyman, Grossman's, Blue Chip Stamps, S&H Green Stamps,
Gemco, Gottschalk's, Home Club/Home Base, Alpha Beta, Sprouse-Reitz.
The best store ever was AFCO, which to my knowledge had only two locations.
It was a wonderful place that sold furniture, TVs, sporting goods, auto parts,
small appliances, clothing, and almost anything else except groceries.
I used to work for Payless Shoes, and the first store that I worked in was a Pick Way Shoes. They were bought by Payless. So many stores gone.
I managed a Payless for 3 years in the late 80s. I have some interesting stories from then.
@@MomentsInTrading me too! I was a manager too!
Borders was my favorite book store until 9-11. I would go to the one in NYC and across the street from it was a used book store stuffed with old books at a decent price. I was sad to hear that Borders closed.
I miss Woolworths. I was honestly shocked Payless when it closed. Borders was my home away from home. Now it's Books A Million. Thank you my friend 😊
Here in (west) Michigan, we had long time retailers MC Sports and Art Van Furniture go under in the last few years...
I grew up in Dallas TX, during the 60's and 70's< I remember most of these store doing business in Dallas during this time. It's extremely sad to see stores from your teen years going under, and , I have to say, seeing Pier 1 go under was very sad for me. There was another large box store also and I can't remember their name. My 65 yr old mind just putters along and doesn't help much any more! Thank you for your videos! Bless my precious daughter! She reminded me it was Hastings. they sold music and novelties, and in the teens, we lived in Boise, ID, and the Hastings store. went out of business.
My (now 71 year-old) wife used to LOVE Pier 1. They started out supplying hippies, but moved up in the world to supplying things on the eclectic side, I think. I haven't missed that shit since I was in college in the seventies. Thankfully, now we're a little more high class. Now she laments the loss of Bed Bath & Beyond and Christmas Tree Shops. Ugh! The world has certainly changed in the last 50 years. (I actually remember buying a bicycle and a kids' pinball machine from Western Auto.)
Check! Airborne!
I really miss Payless Shoes Source and Borders. I shopped there often! I worked at a Circuit City in the late 90’s while I was in college. I miss movie rental places as well although I didn’t have a Family Video by me.
Hearing about Western Auto made me check a location in Seaford VA that I used many times in the early 2000s. It seems to have survived . Great Video thanks! Cheers poko
Another store that I remember is Mr. Wiggs. It was a regional discount department store chain that was eventually acquired by the Hecks chain which, I believe also went bankrupt.
In the Pier One segment, there's a Hobby Center store pictured next to a Pier One. I don't know how big the Hobby Center chain actually was but, we had one in my small hometown. It was always well stocked with plastic model kits and supplies. I loved that store! It's been gone for many years though.
Axle bearing to patch kits, pedals to tires and tubes, Western Auto kept my bike rolling as a kid.
I always enjoy your videos. Thank you!
Here in the North East we've lost many beloved stores. Lechmeres (sp?), Jordan Marsh, Filienes, Benny's, Ames, Stuart's, Bradlees, Zayres, Kings and to top it off - Christmas Tree Stores.😢
I'm in Southeastern Massachusetts. So many stores gone now that I used to shop at. Only Wal-Mart, Target and maybe a Marshalls. After that, it's online, which I hate since I like to actually see what I'm buying, and in the case of clothes, try on.
I had forgotten about Jordan Marsh. They were cool. I'm in the south but we had King's and Zayres also. Went there all the time.
What! Christmas Tree Store is gone!
PayLessShoes .... I miss them terribly. I could always count on them for a good pair of durable work shoes. And with the BOGO deal, I'd buy two of the same pair of shoes at times. They'll never be duplicated. ☹
I miss this shoe 👟 store 🏬 too!!!
Dang it i miss payless we were pretty poor growing up so all I got was thrift stuff going to payless for actual sturdy shoes once every 6 mo was a treat and yup we liked ekerds it was cheap and the pharmacist always worked their best for a cheap medicine option and we have one place in my hometown that does physical dvd rentals but it's a game and music and movies trading place either cash or credit and they make their money catering to folks that want nostalgia and they seem to do pretty well😊
I miss Borders. I could spend hours in there. I also liked Pier 1, but I can get a lot of the same things at World Market. I watched the Eckerd's here turn into Rite-Aids. Then a lot of the Rite-Aids became Walgreens, except the one in my town. That building was a Halloween store for a while and is now a martial arts studio. We already had a Walgreens so that's why. Another nearby Rite-Aid is now a Goodwill because that town also already had a Walgreens.
Back in the '70s, there was a Western Auto in my neighborhood. Right next to the A&P. I used to buy tubes and patch kits for my bicycle tires with money I earned from my paper route (remember paper routes? Do they still even have newspapers?). Pop bought tools and a lawn mower there. Memories
I used to love going to Western Auto ad a kid. The small town we were in had one. It had the hardwood floors and sold the cool Western Flyer sleds and the little wagons and such. It made me sad when they were gone. I also liked Circuit City better than Best Buy, and was very upset when they closed.
I miss otasco tg&y Kmart and venture and frougs especially at Christmas time, love the gifts from those stores
Payless was where we bought almost all our kids shoes. They also had really good men's sandals, which are very hard to find. One of the few stores to stock wide sizes. I really miss them. Pier 1 was always such an interesting store to walk around and browse. Eckerd is one store I don't miss. I had bad experiences there with rude and agressive sales people. Every local Eckerd store eventually became a CVS.
Car salesman aggressive?
Don't forget Blockbuster for which there's one store left in Oregon. For Pier 1 Imports it's now a online store.
I thought the Oregon store shut down, too. Heard they turned it into a BnB.
@@lisasharf1442 It's still open for business. ruclips.net/video/FYPNs_J8itM/видео.html&ab_channel=NewsNation
I always chuckled when I saw the Fry's Electronics ads and signs because they were a grocery chain first in California and then changed! The little happy shopping bag became a happy computer chip instead! Haha! I always liked Cost Plus World Markets a little more because they were just a bit less expensive and also carried real foods and great treats! Mervyns was one I had a rocky but nice relationship with over the years as their inventory was a bit dated but they did have some nice deals on basics. By the end they got better buyers and gave me a decent line of credit but turned around and closed - no longer accepting their own card for clearance goods!
Channel, Rickles, Korvettes, Two Guys, Bradlees, Caldors, Playtogs, The Wiz.
I know these stores are more regional, but they were definitely a huge part of the community and childhood memories.😊
I grew up going to Two Guys! And I later shopped at Bradlees quite a bit.
Korvette's was my go-to, for the record department-- strong on classical, with good sales.
I worked as a dept manager at caldor in the fronts dept. Store # 29 West Hartford CT.
For the most part they must be regional because the only one I've ever heard of was korvettes
I still can't believe Radio Shack, Toy R' Us and Payless are gone.
Grant’s, Woolworth, Woolco, Ben Franklin when I was a kid. Dressed myself for 20 years out of JC Penny & Ames. Sears was the best, they had everything. I still have a coat my parents gave me from there when I was 18. I am 63 now. It’s not just the stores, but the quality of everything they sold. Local stores that were here for 100 years & went out in the 90s were Miller & Rhoads and Thalhimer’s. Loved those, so classy! Now I don’t even have Peebles, that’s the most recent closure where I am. And Payless shoes was the best because I wear wide size, easy to find shoes there. A mall close to us that opened in the 80s shut down about 3 years ago, really sad. Spent a lot of time in B. Dalton Books & Penneys. I really miss Pier One & BedBB now. But we still have a stinkin Walmart, and it sucks.
It's all so sad.
Yes, it is very sad. To be taken over by companies who just sell cheap Chinese junk. Except it's not cheap...just made cheaply.
I miss our Thalhimers and Peebles here in NC. I seriously thought my mom was going to cry when Peebles left!
i live in Albuquerque we all miss Hastings entertainment dvd rental,books and cds always busy but when they closed we were all sad.
When i came to America in the 1990s as a foreign exchange student from Japan my then boyfriend now husband always took me there so we all can rent and watch videos.
sad to see things go after so many excellent years!
It’s a shame that the youth of today will never understand the fun we had growing up in the 60 s
And 70s
I moved to a small city in
northern Minnesota in 2000.
I checked out downtown. On the corner was a Maytag appliance store. Next to it was a Western Auto store. Next to that was a Ben Franklin store. There was a shoe store downtown. No Walmart in town, but there was a Sears. It was as if I'd gone back to 1960.
The rush to enrich stockholders and upper management, Moving around assets to enrich themselves, and their friends, taking advantage of every tax loophole and don’t even get started on fortifying the golden parachutes might have more to do with these closures
Also outsourcing and Amazon
Yep...Greed, short term thinking.
And some succeeded: got rich and then bailed.@@markdavid7013
Not exactly - The main problem with all these chains is that people stopped shopping there. The formula for success is (A) Figure out what people want and (B) Give them what they want. Part (B) is easy, but part (A) is extremely difficult and that's what causes most business failures.
Only when it's terminal. The biggest problem is not adapting to the market place and staying relevant to customers. If you fail to stay relevant to customers they will wander away.
Getting customers is very hard, keeping them isn't easy but once you lose them they rarely come back.
The mention of Eckerds closing hits home because now Rite-Aid is filing for bankruptcy, (also taking out Bartell Drugs in the Pac NW).
Rite-Aid had also swallowed up another Payless, the old Thrifty/Payless Drugs chain back in the '90s
I grew up in Upstate New York. We had a Drug Store named Fay's Drugs
STEIN MART was one of my favorites; really miss it.
I miss Payless, I used to buy all my dress shoes there
Eckerd's and Grant's were right across the breezeway from each other in the mall close to me. Both had a small lunch counter
As a kid, I grew up in Sunnyvale, California. Before Fry's Electronics, there was Fry's grocery stores. My mother worked as a checkout clerk there. When all the Fry's food stores finally closed, the son of the owner of that chain started Fry's Electronics. I'm glad Fry's Electronics finally closed. I met the owner. He was a self-centered, rude prick.
Yep. He was a terrible human. I always felt sorry for the folks who worked especially at the Fry’s in Hayward.
I was born and raised in Phoenix, and we had Fry's Food Stores for as long as I can remember. Fry's was also in Tucson, and I think they had stores in Flagstaff as well. Fry's Food stores are still in Arizona, but they are now part of Kroger. The story I heard about Fry's Electronics was that is was the same family, but a different branch.
Sears is dying,I'm old enough to remember their wonderful mail order catalogs... I worked at a distribution center as a teenager in Philly...
I was so bummed when the nearby Fry's Electronics store closed for good. I shopped there often for my computer, audio and electronics needs. It's now a COSTCO. 😪
They _deserved_ to go. Empty shelves, bad service, and they sold me a refurbished laptop that became an oversized doorstop in less than two years. Good riddance!
I bought the current TV in my living room there 11 years ago. I remember the guy saying there were 200,000 aps available which I seriously doubted but even if there were, whose going to look through them all?
@@real_exodus They weren't always a bad business. Just, overtime when the cash ran dry they just let it all go.
@@real_exodusthat was really just at the end, the empty shelves and no inventory. For years, they were a great place to buy electronics, especially oddball computer components.
Honestly they committed suicide through intentional disregard. Unlike some stores that went defunct, it wasn't about a strategy that became flawed, but having none at all.
Thanks for the video. I remember Gemco, Rasco-Tempo and Sprouse-Reitz.
I used to work at pier 1. Such a shame they shut down.
I miss Border's, Western Auto, and Fry's a lot. My mom really misses Pier 1 Imports.
Payless shoes still working in my country Costa Rica and they sells millions all year around
Payless is here in the Philippines also.
Good for you, but you have other problems like in Ecuador.
@@bellacucina3209 Como todos los países de Latinoamérica unos más otros menos.
Another popular store was Service Merchandise. I'm not sure when they closed, maybe early 90s? You would find something and turn in your order and then pick it up. I also worked for TG&Y headquarters here in Oklahoma City in the early 80s. They were a big retail chain as well. Miss those stores
The Circuit City store in Rockford Illinois is now a Halloween store during October and a Salvation Army Holiday store in November and December. It is not occupied during the rest of the year.
😥
Trader Horn… Rickels… and Bradlee’s were an appliance store… a hardware store… and department store… along with Sterns… EJ Korvettes… Newberry’s in NJ… now all gone!
I remember Korvettes used to have a lunch counter and we'd go with Mom and have a kids lunch. God I miss Mom.
I miss Payless Shoes, and Western Auto. The old Western Auto bldg here in KC has been turned into some really high dollar apartments. I also miss Woolworths.... they had the best Halloween decorations, and Christmas. I still have some old decorations from there. The boxes have long since fallen apart, but the decorations are still pretty, and are used yearly
OTASCO was a good store...i bought my first hunting rifle there ...30/30 winchester..99 dollars ..;i walked in with my money at 12 yrs old and walked out with my first deer rifle. great days in america!
I feel our country died when Circuit City, Eckerds, Mervyns went bankrupt and liquidated, I was so upset when the company I first worked for, CC went out of business and also upset when Rite Aid closed down the former Eckerds store in my neighborhood! That closure left many people having to go far to another drugstore for their prescriptions and other health care products!
I thought Eckerd was better than CVS. I hated they gave up the ghost.
@@Mick_Ts_Chick Eckerd was really good, not only were they a good drugstore! They had soft serve ice cream, video game arcades, and they had vending machines. Once CVS and Rite Aid took over, they removed them out of the store!
Loved Christmas shopping at Pier 1😥
Well, I’ve seen Payless today in the mall where we live. They are still a thing in many countries. Pier 1 could have done better if they lowered their prices or gotten better quality items.
Yes, I just posted that they are here in Latin America where I live now.
I whole heartedly agree. That is what is wrong with most big box stores today low quality merchandise! And high mark ups!
I think Pier One's problem was they quit having unique items as other stores started carrying Asian imports.
Loved Fry's. A great 'geek' and 'enthusiast" adventure!!
Payless Shoesource and Toys R Us are still in the Philippines. Claire's also came to the Philippines (they opened two stores in my city - one was in a mall but the mall's target market were lower income people while the other smaller store was outside an open air mall instead of inside where most of the high end shops lined up). I know Claire's but many Filipino children don't (excluding the expat American children living here). I think they only lasted from 2013 - 2015.
I went to the latter smaller store and saw the price of a single bracelet (it was 425 Php - no middle income parent would buy that bracelet for their child)
So sad to see all these old stores disappear, and with them, so many memories attached. When I was a kid living in the rural South, we spent many moments shopping in the nearby Western Auto Then, they gave credit, and it was one of the only ways we as poor dirt farmers could buy various household items, appliances or car/farm parts and tires. Even some sporting goods the owner would let us buy and pay weekly or monthly. The local owner was a really nice guy who understood the local economic stresses so many lived under, and if you could not make that week's or month's payment, he would extend it knowing it would be paid.
So much from our past has disappeared, and many items today are just Chinese junk with a brand name attached. Things that were once high quality made in America items have become cheap plastic parts that break in short order. So many businesses and factories have closed and so many small towns are dying.
Caldor, The Whiz, Rickel Home Centers , Channel Home Centers, InkStop, Just For Feet, Merry-Go-Round , Computer City, and CompUSA
I used to shop at Frys but would get suspicious when buying an item in a sealed box as they would often resell damaged returned items.
Another DIY type store from the early 2000's? was House 2 Home. They were kind of pricey and the only location I ever knew was in Irvine, California.
Builders Emporium and Oles were favorites my Dad always went to.
I loved Payless Shoes and really miss it! Great prices! Plus, they carried a lot of small size women's shoes in size 5 and 5 1/2 . ( my size.)
Most shoe stores now in the malls do not carry very many shoes in that size but Payless always had a lot.
I also loved Borders and bought books, music related magazines and music CD'S.
Miss Payless Shoe Source. Wasn't it Volume Shoes before that? Borders was my favorite book store.