We Loved Shopping At These 8 Great Stores That No Longer Exist

When we look back at our childhood, a lot of the special memories come from significant moments like family vacations or life milestones. Sometimes the most precious memories came from the small moments, like piling in the station wagon to go get ice cream at Howard Johnson’s on a hot summer night, or going down to the corner store to get some penny candy. While looking back at these moments, we began thinking of all the great stores we used to shop at that aren’t around as much (if they’re around at all). See our list below and share your memories with us in the comments!

Woolworth’s

Woolworth’s was one of the original pioneers of the five-and-dime store. The first store dates back to 1878, but many of us probably remember them as the go-to place for anything you needed in the ’50s and ’60s. With a great selection of goods and prices that were hard to beat, Woolworth’s became a staple in malls and shopping districts throughout the country. They even offered a selection of delicious foods at their lunch counters!

Gottschalks

What was once the largest independently-owned, publicly-traded department store chain in the U.S. went defunct in 2009. Gottschalks was a department store that began in California and eventually spread throughout the west coast, including several apparel stores intended for teens called Bobbie West.

Thrifty

If you remember going to Thrifty as a kid, chances are you remember getting some Thrifty Ice Cream! It was affordable, and had the best flavors (Chocolate Malted Krunch, Butter Pecan, Medieval Madness, Mint ‘N Chip, and Rocky Road, to name a few). While Thrifty was eventually merged with Payless Drug Stores in 1994, the company didn’t last much longer, and closed up shop in 1996.

A&P Supermarket

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, or A&P for short, was at one point the largest grocery retailer in the U.S. The Wall Street Journal actually labeled the store as an American icon, comparing it to McDonald’s or Google in today’s standards. Founded in 1859, A&P went by many different names, and at one point had 16,000 locations across the country. Unfortunately, the store closed its doors for good in late 2015, but we’ll always remember going shopping with mom.

B. Dalton

At the peak of its success, B. Dalton had 798 stores throughout the country. Chances are if you even stepped foot in a mall, you came across one of these quaint little book stores. If you were lucky, maybe your parents even let you pick out a book! B. Dalton was eventually purchased by Barnes & Noble in 1987, with the final stores shutting down in 2009.

S.H. Kress

Another five-and-dime store, Kress began in 1887 as a “stationery and notions” store. Like Woolworth’s, Kress offered a variety of goods for great prices, and a lunch counter too. What stood out about Kress was the architecture of many of its stores. Many were adorned with elaborate details such as coats-of-arms and metal work. Kress shut down in 1981, but many of the buildings are still in use to this day.

Benjamin Franklin’s

All built on Franklin’s saying of “A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned,” the Ben Franklin 5-10 was a popular franchise around the U.S. that sprung up in 1927. At its peak, there were 2,500 stores around the country and I bet all of us can remember stopping by them after school or on the weekend! They had the best variety of crafts and fun little trinkets.

KB Toys

Founded in 1922 by the Kaufman brothers, KB Toys once operated 1300 stores all across the country. Behind FAO Schwarz, it was the oldest operating toy store in North America until it went out of business in 2009.

Howard Johnson’s

While the first location opened in 1925, Howard Johnson’s was one of the biggest restaurant chains in the 70’s, until the brand gradually began to fade. Famous for their ice cream, Howard Johnson’s lives on with one special location (you can read more about that fantastic story here).

What do you remember about these stores? Did we leave your favorite off the list? Let us know in the comments below… we love to hear your memories!