40 Iconic Stores You Grew Up With That Are No Longer Around

Boston Public Library, Print Division

F. W. Woolworth Company

Mervyn’s

Began by Mervin G. Morris in 1949 in San Lorenzo, California, the firm grew to practically 200 stores, mostly in the West. The mid-mark chain boomed in the ‘70s, but when it began increasing exterior of California, it stumbled. Stores began closing all the map thru the nation in the early 2000’s. The firm filed for financial pain in 2008, shuttering all of its stores.

Gimbel Brothers

A&P

Sir Bernard Law Ward & Company

Aaron Sir Bernard Law began his firm in 1872 as a mail-show industry selling to farmers in rural areas shut to Chicago. The principle retail stores opened in 1926, increasing to bigger than 500 in 5 years. In 1985, the firm ended its catalog industry. Going thru competition from novel lower mark stores in the 1990s, the store filed for financial pain in 1997. The final store closed in 2001 but relaunched as an online firm in 2004.

S. S. Kresge Company

Sebastian Spering Kresge and a partner founded the 5-and-dime, Kresge’s, in Detroit in 1897. He rapidly became sole owner, and by 1935, Kresge’s grew to 745 stores in the Midwest and East. In 1962, the firm decided to project into the lower mark market and opened the principle Kmart exterior Detroit. They expanded aggressively, and the company title used to be modified to Kmart in 1977. The final Kresge stores have been equipped off by 1987.

Kinney Sneakers

Kaufmann’s

Kaufmann’s used to be founded in Pittsburgh in 1871 as a men’s tailoring and ready-to-save on store by two brothers. Two extra brothers joined a few years later. The store grew exact into a series of practically 60 stores in the East. The firm used to be acquired a few times sooner than Macy’s bought and rebranded it in 2006. Sadly, many Macy’s stores, collectively with the long-established Kaufmann’s flagship store, have since closed.

Hills Division Retailer

Based by Herbert H. Goldberger in 1957 in Youngstown, Ohio, the chain pushed into many Midwestern and a handful of Southern states. In 1987, the store went public and became the nation’s eighth-supreme lower mark retailer. By the 1990s, the stores have been floundering and filed financial pain. Taken over by Ames in 1995, neither firm had survived by 2002.

Nationwide File Mart

Based in 1937 by Hyman Shapiro and his sons in Pittsburgh, the firm if truth be told expert in aged 78 RPM info from jukeboxes. Loopy, factual? But it became the principle music store chain in the U.S., and in 1964, the store helped articulate the Beatles to town for a concert. The firm had bigger than 160 stores, as some distance-off as Hawaii and Guam, by 1998. But gross sales suffered in the ‘90s, and all stores closed by 2002.

Bonwit Teller

Paul Bonwit founded a luxury department store in Recent York Metropolis in 1895, partnering with Edmund D. Teller in 1897. The store became identified for its upscale goods and at final opened in key areas reminiscent of Miami Coastline and Boston. The firm modified fingers several times in the ‘80s and at final filed financial pain in 1989. But gape to classic movies where the store has had many roles: Katherine Hepburn mentions the store in Desk Space; it’s seen in the gap of Breakfast at Tiffany’s; and Marcie from Oliver’s Epic is an heiress to the firm fortune.

W. T. Grant 25 Cent Retailer

In 1906, W. T. Grant opened the W.T. Grant Co. 25 Cent Retailer in Lynn, Massachusetts with $1,000 he had saved from his work as a salesman. The firm grew mercurial nationwide with 1,200 stores by 1972. Sadly, the chain went bankrupt in 1974, making the crumple the then-2d-supreme in U.S. ancient past. Fortunately, the foundation he created in 1936 to income kids aloof exists on the novel time.

Sprouse-Reitz

Began by Robert Allen Sprouse and Fred Reitz as a 5-and-dime in 1909 in Tacoma, the headquarters moved to Portland in 1919. In its heyday, the store had practically 400 stores in 11 western states. But by the 1980s, diversity stores have been shedding ground. The chain tried to rebrand itself as Sprouse! in the late ‘80s. But the firm rapidly began selling off stores, closing the final of them in 1994.

Zayre

Jacobson’s

The principle store used to be opened by Abram Jacobson in Reed Metropolis, Michigan in 1838. By the 1930s, the chain grew and expanded in the midst of the enlighten and to neighboring states reminiscent of Ohio and Indiana. The chain integrated most productive 25 stores at its top, but the truth that the firm thrived for bigger than a century and a half of is impressive, by anybody’s standards. Yet by the ‘90s, the chain used to be struggling and filed for financial pain in 2002. All stores closed by 2011.

Bon-Ton

Based in 1898 as Grumbacher and Son in York, Pennsylvania, the store first equipped hats and dry goods. The firm expanded in the midst of World Battle I, and stores have been later opened exterior Pennsylvania. The firm grew in successive decades, especially in the ‘90s. Nonetheless, after a quantity of CEOs failed to rescue its languishing presence, the chain filed financial pain in 2018. All stores have been liquidated, though the firm aloof operates an online save.

Fotomat

Support when of us took precise photos with precise cameras, you needed to receive them developed somewhere. Enter Fotomat, founded by businessman Preston Fleet in California in 1968. The firm’s gold-roofed kiosks rapidly popped up by the hundreds in parking plenty all the map thru The US, and it is seemingly you’ll per chance per chance force up and get up your achieved photos the next day. Most Fotomats shut down by the late ‘90s when one-hour movie increasing made the industry primitive.

RadioShack

RadioShack used to be founded in Boston in 1921 by the Deutschmann brothers to attain tools for ham radio operators. The firm used to be the location for electronics, as soon as had 7,300 areas, and may possibly well per chance suppose to have a store interior three miles of each and each American family. Now, no longer so great. The firm filed for financial pain in 2015 and in 2017. Even though or no longer it is technically no longer long gone (there are a few stores and a web save final), or no longer it is no longer the predominant retail player it as soon as used to be.

Blockbuster

Blockbuster, which used to be created in 1985, as soon as had over 9,000 areas. It used to be a video condominium store, where customers may possibly well per chance rent videos and DVDs. In 2013, the chain presented it would birth up closing all of its stores. Now, most productive a single Blockbuster remains in Bend, Oregon.

Borders

Borders used to be founded in Michigan in 1971 and became regarded as one of many tip booksellers of the early 2000s. But when digital guide readers came into play, the firm needed to shutter all 511 areas and filed for financial pain in 2011.

Circuit Metropolis

Circuit Metropolis as soon as had a whopping 567 stores at its top, where it is seemingly you’ll per chance per chance possess something else from TVs and computers to audio tools and automobile stereos. Nonetheless, in 2008, after 59 years, the chain declared financial pain and started closing all of its areas.

CompUSA

CompUSA used to be created in Addison, Texas in 1984 and used to be initially named Tender Warehouse. Nonetheless, it used to be modified in in 1991 when the firm went public. The store if truth be told expert in computer application and computer products. In 2007, the chain may possibly well per chance not shield with Circuit Metropolis and Glorious Lift, so 126 stores closed. Now, most productive an online save remains.

Discovery Channel Retailer

The Discovery Channel stores first opened in 1995 and featured educational video games, gifts, videos, books, and extra that mirrored the message it is seemingly you’ll per chance per chance gaze on the channel. By 2007, the Discovery Channel presented it would shut all of its standalone stores — 103 of them, to be true – and focal level on online retail most productive.

Gadzooks

Gadzooks used to be a T-shirt retailer that originated in Mesquite, Texas and used to be founded in 1983. The chain grew exponentially to 422 stores and chose to focal level extra on teenage clothing. Yet, Gadzooks used to be compelled to file for financial pain in 2004. On the incandescent facet, the chain used to be equipped to current clothing mark Eternally 21 in 2005 for $33 million.

Hhgregg

Hhgregg used to be an dwelling equipment and electronics store that used to be founded in 1955 in Princeton, Indiana and, at one level, expanded into 20 states. But in 2017 the store closed over 130 stores and laid off bigger than 5,000 of us. Just a few months later an online save for the firm remerged online to make a comeback for the electronics empire.

KB Toys

KB Toys used to be founded in 1922 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The myth toy store had 1,324 areas birth as of 1999 and is likely to be chanced on in all 50 states. Despite its as soon as booming success, KB Toys declared for financial pain twice, and closed all of its stores in 2009. Toys “R” Us acquired the rights to its title in the midst of the an identical year.

Linens ‘n Things

Linens ‘n Things used to be founded in 1975 in Clifton, Recent Jersey and used to be as soon as a homeware and residential tools staple. The chain operated 571 stores all the map thru the US and Canada, and furthermore did industry as a nice box retailer. Finally, the industry struggled and all stores closed in 2008. In February 2009 an online save used to be relaunched to sell dwelling goods.

Sharper Describe

The person and electronics store, Sharper Describe, used to be founded in 1977 in San Francisco, California. Within the occasion you ever traveled thru a browsing mall and sat in a relaxed rub down chair interior an electronics-stuffed store, it used to be doubtlessly a Sharper Describe. Nonetheless, the firm filed for financial pain in 2008 and closed every single store. In 2009 the title used to be equipped and a brand novel web save used to be relaunched.