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[Kazerei]

In Canada, there were a few major department store chains that have been phased out, such as Eaton's, BiWay, Kmart. There seemed to be more variety back in the 90s. Now there's mainly just Sears, HBC, and Walmart.

 

[Fisticuffs]

This is the one I miss the most.

what's to miss? Gamestop is the same damn thing.

 

[davepoobond]

Mervyns
Miller's Outpost
Thrifty Stores
Pic N Save

 

[Death Dealer]

Getting ice cream at Thrifty's was always a treat.
Farrell's was awesome.

When I was a kid, I remember seeing prizes on Wheel of Fortune provided by Service Merchandise. They didn't have them in my area. I imagined it being a high end place like FAO Schwartz, or Norstrom's or something.

Many years later, in a different state, I saw a Service Merchandise store having a going out of business sale. I was disappointed. It seemed like a regular JC Penny type dept store. Funny how my expectations were so lofty.

As far as local stuff goes, there is a Chinese restaurant, that used to be a different Chinese restaurant, that was an Indian buffet/restaurant before that. I miss the Indian restaurant. It was so good. There are a million Chinese joints here but not enough affordable Indian restaurants.

 

[Biscuits]

In Canada, there were a few major department store chains that have been phased out, such as Eaton's, BiWay, Kmart. There seemed to be more variety back in the 90s. Now there's mainly just Sears, HBC, and Walmart.

Wow, we had Kmarts here?

Anyways, I remember getting steering wheels and other crap from CompuSmart.

 

[Goro Majima]

I miss a nice regional variety of stores. Now it's like we all got the same garbage from coast to coast.

 

[G-Fex]

Mervyns
Miller's Outpost
Thrifty Stores
Pic N Save

These

And anyone remember H.R. something something Fish and Chip Restaurants?

 

[cheststrongwell]

My family used to go to this restaurant called PoFolks. They had the best damn salad dressing in the world. I miss it so much

And Babbages. Still remember buying Chrono Trigger from them.

 

[Tek]

This...

My local mall had one that looked just like this

 

[Yaboosh]

Another two that i used to love as a kid were Quincy's Family Steakhouse and Ryan's Steakhouse. They were basically clones of each other, both always had fried okra (best food on the planet) but Quincy's had far better yeast rolls.

 

[Captain Sparrow]

The greatest game store of all time. They had everything. I hate you Gamestop.

 

[PhoenixDark]

Farmer Jacks! The last one closed down in my area of Michigan some years ago, and I haven't seen one since then

 

[Megadragon15]

These

And anyone remember H.R. something something Fish and Chip Restaurants?

Are you talking about this: http://hsalt.com/main.htm ?

 

[CF_Fighter]

K-B Toys. I remember I got my N64 from them at my local mall a few weeks after it came out along with Shadows of the Empire, all because my dad lost a bet with me.

 

[freenudemacusers]

This...

My local mall had one that looked just like this

aladdin's castle was so cool when I was a kid. I remember Orchid's um... chest in particular.

I remember going to this all the time as a kid...

But in middle school I heard a bunch of kids ate there and got food poisoning from it.

It's no longer there.

we still have them in the midwest... kind of awful sorry

 

[thebeeks]

Hopefully DallasGAF remembers Pennywhistle Park.

Killed by Showbiz Pizza which was later killed by Chuck E Cheese.

 

[JGS]

Came here to post Hills and it in the OP.

 

[Whimsical Phil]

I used to really like Rax's. I thought their roast beef was way better than Arby's. I used to loved their baked potatoes and their shakes were out of this world. There might still be a few left in the world but they are long gone from anywhere around me.

According to its website, there are 16 Rax restaurants left in the country (most of 'em are in Ohio). Luckily, one of those 16 locations is in my hometown, so I always stop and get a couple of their excellent ham sandwiches when I'm visiting family.

I also make sure to hit up White Castle a few times. Of course, there are plenty of those still around, but none in California.

 

[franknbeans]

 

[hawkshockey11]

Media Play was the best.

Edit- Forgot about this

It was a Rainforest Cafe with an awesome arcade that gave tickets you could redeem for prizes (Like Chuckie Cheese's)

 

[jon_irenicus]

Fedco in Costa Mesa, California. This was where I bought most of my shareware games under the "Wiz Technology" label and where I got my first glimpse of Wolfenstein 3D, all running on a glorious Packard Bell.

CompUSA in Fountain Valley, California. My parents essentially saw this as a "Daycare Center". They used to drop me off this place for a couple of hours as they went shopping elsewhere.

PC Club in Anaheim, California. I miss all the old mom & pop PC hardware stores that used to litter the Southern California landscape. This was where I purchased the Diamond Monster 3D 3dfx Voodoo1.

 

[lunarworks]

A few I can think of...

 

[Dishwalla]

This one right fucking here. The mall back home had two of these at one point, and I can't tell you how pissed I was when they both left the mall, and after I asked a mall employee where I could buy music, all I got was "duh, I guess you could try the Circuit City at the other end of the parking lot".

And I know it's replacement, FYE, is essentially the same thing, but I really do miss Sam Goody/Musicland.

 

[Satyamdas]

Came to see if anyone mentioned Naugles, am satisfied.

Adray's was local to SoCal, and was like a big box store before big box stores existed, except it was crammed into a space about a third as big as they are now. I only ever went to the one in West LA on Pico and Cotner (now a Smart & Final), but they had a few more locations in Orange County. Adray's was awesome because the store was just jampacked with shit, everything was piled high and it had narrow ass aisles -- god forbid a person in a wheelchair ventured into an Adray's. It was where I first saw DirecTV being offered for sale (in like '95 or so), and just had tons of cool shit.

It was family run and had been in SoCal for 30 years when it finally closed its last store in 1998, ironically enough because it was losing business to The Good Guys and Circuit City (may they RIP).

I remember when the LA riots started, me and some buddies happened to be driving past the Fedco on the corner of La Cienega & Rodeo (now a Target). So many people scrambling in and out of the parking lot with all kinds of loot. And we actually debated whether to see if we could get some shit. Surprisingly we picked the smarter option and just went home to watch that shit on TV.

 

[slit]

My family used to go to this restaurant called PoFolks. They had the best damn salad dressing in the world. I miss it so much

Yeah, I remember them. My parents would take me there but I hated the place. I remember they would give you a long hollow uncooked noodle as a straw for your drinks.

 

[entremet]

Blockbuster. Are they still around?

 

[Count Dookkake]

Hopefully DallasGAF remembers Pennywhistle Park.

Killed by Showbiz Pizza which was later killed by Chuck E Cheese.

Whoa! Total nostalgia unlock.

I lived in TX for a while as a kid and had forgotten all about this place.

 

[lunarworks]

Sam the Record Man.

Old music store chain, and former Yonge Street landmark.

 

[DrAndonuts]

There's still a Sam Goody back home for me (Tallahassee, FL).

My family used to go to this restaurant called PoFolks. They had the best damn salad dressing in the world. I miss it so much

There are still some of these in Atlanta - they've been renamed to Folks. Not as racist-y sounding.

 

[hayguyz]

Wasn't even that great, really, but I misses it.

Fuck that place. They gave my wife broccoli covered in dirt.

 

[Korey]

 

[DarkKyo]

we still have them in the midwest... kind of awful sorry

Lol yeah I never said it was good or anything...

 

[BankaiZaraki]

I remember when we used to have Discovery Zone here in my hometown, thought that place would never close down when I was a kid. Remember Babbages as well,Bennigans(they just closed them here like 2 years ago) and Shoney's...

Here's one I truly miss...

1)Ryan's Family Steakhouse-Buffet style restaurant..still have them up in NC though.

 

[daycru]

Adored Funcoland. Everyone was friendly, knowledgeable, and they had a binder with all of the trade in values so you could add up what you'd get before you brought your shit in. Gamestop is just depressing, desperate people making minimum wage trying to hit pre-order quotas. Won't step foot in one if I can avoid it.

 

[elrechazado]

Oh damn, I remember Shoney's. I didn't know they went out of business.

There's one by my house, just went for breakfast last week.

 

[Dany]

Oh, I remember going to the mall with my older brother and spending way too much time checking out CD's.

 

[Dishwalla]

All you people who miss Shoney's should come out to Virginia, they're all over the place here.

Speaking of places that still exist in VA, I don't believe anyone has mentioned Roy Rogers, yet I know a lot of people miss them. There's still a few of them here too.

 

[Natetan]

Norwest Bank. It always seemed weird that they acquired Wells Fargo and then adopted their name. Norwest is such a better name

Dayton's It always seemed weird that they acquired Marshall Fields and then adopted their name. Dayton's is such a better name

 

[B.K.]

Though I suppose it technically isn't defunct. There's still one restaurant left.

All you people who miss Shoney's should come out to Virginia, they're all over the place here.

Same for Tennessee. East Tennessee, anyway.

 

[Bloodbeard]

funcoland
curcuit city
sam goody

 

[LiquidMetal14]

SOme good ones listed. The Good Guys, Montgemery Ward, Babbages, Software Etc.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

A few malls from my childhood. So sad remembering going there around the holidays (the malls, not service merchandise). They were so busy! Everything seemed so bright and bustling. Then remembering going back as a young teenager and them being completely dead.

 

[Ra\/en]

Woodwards in the B.C. area. Eaton's has already been mentioned too.

I just checked to see if Chuck E Cheese is still around. I was surprised to find that there are hundreds across NA! Thought they died ages ago....

 

[TheUsual]

Found one of those coins in an old box of mine. Fond memories of that place.

 

[Throavium]

 

[Ra\/en]

Oh, and RadioShack died in Canada I think. Good riddance. I have no idea how they exist.

 

[slit]

There's one by my house, just went for breakfast last week.

Yeah, I didn't think they went out of business. I would always see them when traveling down south. I really liked their breakfast buffets. I don't ever remember any up here in the north though.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

They still have a website so I guess they still exist. I dunno.

But I haven't seen one in ages. The fries were the bomb diggity yo.

 

[Piggus]

Woah. I'm 90% certain that pic was taken at the mall nearest to me lol. That Software Etc is still open there by the way (Medford, OR.) I was in there just a few days ago.

EDIT: this is different view from that mall

Gotta be the same.

 

[lunarworks]

Oh, and RadioShack died in Canada I think. Good riddance. I have no idea how they exist.

I have mixed feelings about Radio Shack. They were the kind of place that asked for your name and address if you bought a battery, but at the same time they were the only place to buy miscellaneous electronic components in most towns.

But, they still exist, in watered-down form, as "The Source". (Circuit City bought them, and when CC died off, Bell bought the chain... why?)




Also, this thread reminds me of how much malls were awesome in the '80s and early-to-mid '90s.

Now most of them are desolate wastelands, waiting to be torn down.