28 Shops We Absolutely Loved In The 70s And 80s

1  Ratners.

Cut-price jewellers that were on every high street, this is where we bought our silver hooped earrings! The chain famously closedown after its own admitted the goods he sold were 'crap'!

2  Our Price.

This is where we gathered on a Saturday afternoon with our friends and browsed through the records and tapes. They were always a bit cheaper than the other record stores.

3  Rumbelows.

This was one of the first electrical and electronic stores, bigger than Currys and Dixons. I was really excited to go in here with my parents as we were choosing our first colour television.

4  Clockhouse.

Part of C & A, the clothes were much more modern and geared towards us younger shoppers. They were also in the actual C & A  store, in their own section.  I used to look through the sales rails for ages!

5  Curtess.

One of the main shoe shops in the 70s and 80s - perfect for a pair of platforms or stretchy boots. I bought my Kickers from here - red with a little leather tag on the side.

6  Freeman Hardy Willis.

I think this must have been part of the same group as Curtess because they carried the same stock at the same price. There was an F H W in just about every town in the United Kingdom.

7  C And A.

What I remember about C & A is getting my school coat from here.  As I got older, I realised there was more to the store than school coats and knee-high socks. Now it's gone I feel like something is missing.  It was like a pair of comfy slippers.

8  Chelsea Girl.

If you wanted a pair of flares, then Chelsea Girl had about 200 pairs in different colours and styles to chose from. It was always quite dark for a shop and the music played really loud.  That's the way we liked it!

9  Wimpy.

These were exciting times when fast food was accessible to us all.  Going for a Wimpy with friends was a real treat. It was more about the social aspect than the food, getting dressed up in case you saw someone you fancied!

10  Lyons Corner House.

These were enormous food places on about 4 floors.  The atmosphere was always bustling and we went there with our parents for a treat or special occasion. There were proper waitresses to take our orders and rows of amazing cakes!

11  Woolworths.

Where else could you go for a massive selection of pic 'n' mix as well as records, toys and stationery? We were all shocked when it closed down but the reason was that not many people were going in there anymore - times had moved on.

12  Barratts.

Barratts were great for school shoes for teenagers when we were too old for Clarks shoes. I would spend ages in here, trying on loads of pairs, before making a decision.

13  Co-Op Department Store.

This was a very traditional store but what I loved about it was that it had big cafe on the basement floor. We used to get a knickerbocker glory which you will know better as an ice cream sundae!

14 WHSmith

Who remembers the cute little paper bags you'd get when you bought things in WHSmith? I used to love going in here to get stationery for school.

15 Clarks.

Clarks was the place you'd always see people you knew from school doing the exact same thing as you..... Trying to persuade their mum not to buy them the clompy horrible shoes for school.

16 Dixons.

Dixons was one of the bigger stores around the UK but later became just an online store.

17 Athena.

In the 70s, the store was selling prints, cards and stationery. Like everything, internet competition hit it hard.... The last Athena store in 2014 closed! Sad times :(

18 Radio Rentals.

Do you remember the advert in the 1970s which mocked the popular TV soap Crossroads? As TVs and Video Recorders became cheaper, radio rentals wasn't needed as much and it just couldn't keep up with everything!

19 Dewhurst.

Dewhurst butchers were all over the country by the 1980s. But unfortunately, because of competition from big chains like Tesco and Marks and Spencers.

20 Comet.

Comet seemed to expand rapidly after the 60s it seemed to be all over the place by the 80s and 90s. The internet is one of the big reasons stores like these have ended up going into administration.

21 Fine fare.

You might remember your mum shopping in a fine fare when you were very young.... These stores were taken over and rebranded in the late 80s. Fine fare suffered when the big supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury's expanded.

22 Midland Banks.

Remember the distinctive griffin logo? It was one of the "big four" banks along with Natwest, Barclays and Lloyds. It was taken over in 1992 by HSBC so it was goodbye to the griffin and hello to that boring red and black logo.

23 Lewis'.

Lewis' was one of the shops you'd get dragged around with your mum or dad on a Saturday afternoon.

24 British Home Stores.

RIP.

25 Dolcis.

My mum would buy her nice shoes from here when she was going out. I'd sit and watch her eyeing up the same few shoes for about half an hour. The main reason I hated getting dragged around shops on a Saturday.

26 Etam.

The affordable French store was perfect for every teenage girl.

27 Beatties.

Beatties was a national store was an impressive reputation for customer service. Unfortunately, it closed in 2006 :( like a lot of other stores.

28 Past Times.

The quirky little shop was a perfect place to get little gifts. The last shop closed in 2012. Sad times.Where did you like to spend your pocket money or first wage packet?

We'd love to hear from you and don't forget to SHARE this with your family and friends.