Stores, some of my favorite

[Zardoz56]

Sears, Western Auto, Woolworths, Gimbels Department Store, Piggly Wiggly Groceries, A & P Groceries. Any others?

 

[Naturally]

We still have a Piggly Wiggly here. It's a cost plus 10% store now days.
S.H. Kress & Co. (1896-2001) First place my mother worked as a teen.
Locally there was a 5 story clothing and furniture store with a bargain basement ... Tepper's. My grandmother worked there.

 

[Teacher Terry]

When I lived in the Midwest, I always shopped at Piggly Wiggly, but that was many years ago.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I miss the old locally owned D&K five and dime stores, they were a no frills forerunner to the modern day dollar stores or Dollar General type stores.

We also had a couple of local salvage freight stores where we could find an odd selection of discontinued or scratch and dent food and household items.

The Syracuse China Factory store with bins of dishes sorted by item. The sound of people rattling through the bins trying to put together matching sets of everyday china was deafening at times but it was worth it if you had more time than money.

I guess the theme for me was small locally owned businesses with a bit of personality as opposed to national chains that are fairly predictable.

 

[Llynn]

Red & White Grocery, Western Auto, Ben Franklin, Woolworth, Newberrys, Sears, Wards, Rexall Drugs, and a whole bunch of local retail stores of varying size.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I miss many of the features and products from the old grocery stores like A&P, IGA, etc…

The smell of the store self serve ground grinders.

The A&P or P&C Spanish Bar Cake!

Spanish Bar Cake. A real old fashioned market bakery fave! Rock Recipes

 

[outlander]

Harbor Freight and Ace Hardware.

 

[Jules]

grinders.

Before I drank coffee, I loved to walk down the aisle when someone was using them. Can’t remember the last time I saw one.

 

[Jazzy1]

Borders, Circuit City, Radio Shack and Blockbuster

 

[Aunt Bea]

Borders, Circuit City, Radio Shack and Blockbuster

I remember when Blockbuster was a regular stop!

Blockbuster is gone and so is my combo VCR/DVD player.

 

[Lizzie00]

I remember when Blockbuster was a regular stop!

Yeah…a weekend highlight!

 

[MACKTEXAS]

I remember when Blockbuster was a regular stop!

Blockbuster is gone and so is my combo VCR/DVD player.

Thankfully, my VCR player still works because I have a lot of tapes. Not long back I looked for one that's been reconditioned; not much luck, so it's just a matter of time before I can no longer play those tapes.

 

[Grampa Don]

Hobby shops and electronic parts stores. They've pretty much vanished around here.

 

[chic]

Whole Foods and Home Depot. I may have to give up both because of the corporations that own them. I can shop at Trader Joe's even though there isn't one in my hometown. Grocery shopping will take a little longer. Home Depot, I loved. There is an Ace hardware store nearby that I can use but there is not as much variety.

 

[MarkinPhx]

Fry's Electronics , Comp USA. . and Mervyn's are the stores I miss the most.

 

[astralcat]

It's been years, but I still miss Sears.

 

[KSav]

World Market! There was one near my sister's house in NC and it was my favorite store to shop at. They had the coolest food items, too: https://www.worldmarket.com/c/food-and-drink/shop-all-food-and-drink/

 

[Aunt Bea]

The Planter’s Peanut Store!

They were in our City Center next door to an old movie palace. It was operated by two elderly sisters that used to roast the nuts in ornate gas fired brass roasters, the smell was amazing. They also sold a variety of candy with nuts, cream filberts, known as moth balls, were a favorite.

Also, The Fanny Farmer candy stores.



Why do most of my memories involve food?

 

[KSav]

@AuntBea, I grew up in Syracuse! I used to love Fannie Farmer stores, too, and Hickory Farms. I also used to love the Karmelkorn store that was downtown. And Columbus Bakery. Such good memories!

 

[dobielvr]

Gottschalks, Mervyns and Gallenkamps. Gallenkamps was a shoe store from long ago, but I've been having such a hard time finding a pair of cute black heeled sandals, that I wish they were still around.

 

[Aunt Bea]

@AuntBea, I grew up in Syracuse! I used to love Fannie Farmer stores, too, and Hickory Farms. I also used to love the Karmelkorn store that was downtown. And Columbus Bakery. Such good memories!

Karmelkorn and Columbus bakery are still here!

Christmas shopping downtown with the smell of Karmelkorn wafting out into the street is another favorite food memory for me.

 

[Imogene]

The Old Isaly Dairy whose Milkshakes couldn’t be beat.

The Old SS Kresge company with the creaky and comforting wooden floors.

The original Warren Hot Dog Shop before they moved. They had the best hot dog chili sauce around.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

The now defunct Dress Barn Woman was one of my favorite stores. But it's been years since I've had to buy clothing from a regular retail store. I found my favorite thrift-consignment shop and have gotten the few garments I've needed from there at terrific prices. Other than that, I love Costco, our local supermarket Price Rite, Dollar Tree, Chewy (online) and Amazon.

 

[officerripley]

I miss Montgomery Ward, Mervyns and Kmart.

 

[ChiroDoc]

It's been years, but I still miss Sears.

Me too. And Montgomery Wards.