13 beloved stores that had sadly disappeared from our streets

Beloved US stores that have closed their doors

With changing shopping habits and growing competition wreaking havoc on once-untouchable companies, America has lost many beloved big-name stores over the years. 

From iconic names you'd find downtown to department stores that once graced malls across the country, click or scroll on to discover the former American stalwarts that came to a sad end. 

Tower Records

Music fans might remember this popular record store chain, which had around 200 stores across 15 countries at its peak.

Tower Records was launched in 1960, when the first store was opened in Sacramento, California. It quickly grew its network across the US, as well as in countries such as Japan (where it still exists independently), Canada, and the UK.

Tower Records

But like many former retail giants, Tower Records struggled with dwindling sales. This was further amplified by the introduction of music downloads and streaming software, which made records and CDs fall out of favor.

In 2006, Tower declared bankruptcy and was bought by the Great American Group for $134 million (the equivalent of $217 million today), with plans to sell most of its stock. But it hasn't disappeared completely; in 2020, the business relaunched as an online-only store where you can still shop today.

Pets.com

In business terms, Pets.com’s lifespan of just two years was over in the blink of an eye – but the pivotal moment at which it entered the scene is still well-remembered.

Emerging in 1998 at the dawn of the dotcom bubble, the site sold (you guessed it) pet products and accessories and even had a memorable TV ad featuring a sock puppet dog.

Pets.com

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Despite attracting investment from the likes of Amazon, the year 2000 saw Pets.com's stock fall from $14 per share to just $0.22 per share, signaling the end of the road.

In a last-ditch attempt to keep the company alive, the brand even started selling its sock puppets – but it soon became clear it was barking up the wrong tree, with the business ceasing operations in 2000.

Circuit City

Electronics company Circuit City was founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel, who's credited with creating the world's first electronics superstores.

By the 1970s, outlets were springing up across the nation and the chain's format was being copied far and wide. Circuit City began to lose its edge in the 1990s, with many of its stores languishing in undesirable locations, while competitors like Best Buy and Walmart stole away customers. 

Circuit City

By the mid-2000s, intensifying competition from online retailers spelled the end of the road for Circuit City. In 2008, the company revealed plans to shut down 155 stores and lay off 17% of its workforce in a bid to become profitable.

Ultimately, however, it was unable to stave off Chapter 7 bankruptcy or find a buyer. It bowed out the following year, closing all its US stores and ceasing operations for good. 

Blockbuster

If you're of a certain age, you undoubtedly have fond memories of renting movies or video games – not to mention stocking up on popcorn and candy – from your neighborhood Blockbuster store. 

The very first Blockbuster opened in 1985 in Dallas, Texas, and the chain expanded fast. By the 1990s, Blockbuster had established itself as America's most popular video rental chain. 

Blockbuster

Yet, by the late-2000s, Blockbuster was on its last legs. Tough competition from the likes of Netflix's mail-order service, video on demand platforms, and automated kiosks pretty much killed the business, and Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

The flagging firm was bought by Dish Network, which eventually closed most of the stores, apart from one in Bend, Oregon (pictured).

Borders

A common sight in downtown shopping areas back in the day, Borders bookstores disappeared completely from the scene in 2011. The chain was founded by brothers Louis and Tom Borders in Michigan in 1971, and was sold twenty years later to Kmart, which oversaw its massive expansion in the 1990s.

At its peak, there were hundreds of stores, but Borders found itself struggling by the 2000s. It bought into music just as CD sales were floundering and failed to develop a decent online store, while also fatally underestimating the growth potential of eBooks and MP3s.

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Borders

Fewer customers were shopping in the increasingly quiet stores, and the chain had become too large to sustain itself.

Borders turned a profit for the last time in 2006 and filed for bankruptcy in February 2011, with its stores closing later that year. Although Barnes & Noble bought some remnants of the chain, the bookseller opted to retire rather than resurrect the brand, and Borders was no more.

The Bon-Ton

With a 125-year legacy behind it, The Bon-Ton was an iconic US department store that had weathered numerous storms over the years – but it couldn't manage to survive today’s tough marketplace.

The Bon-Ton

The company’s demise was ultimately caused by rivalry from e-commerce giants such as Amazon. After filing for bankruptcy in early 2018, the business liquidated its assets that April, closing its remaining 256 stores across the country. 

Toys R Us

The toy store that no one could bear to say goodbye to, Toys R Us had a legacy spanning almost seven decades by the time it filed for bankruptcy in the US in September 2017. With the first store opening in Washington DC in 1948, the business profited from the baby boom and economic prosperity that followed the war years. It quickly became one of the most iconic toy store brands in the world. Founder Charles Lazarus is pictured here.

At first, e-commerce helped the business, with Toys R Us teaming up with Amazon in 2000 as its exclusive toy retailer for 10 years. Yet when Amazon allowed other toy companies to sell through its site before the contract was up, Toys R Us ended the partnership. The toy giant successfully sued Amazon but never fully recovered. 

Toys R Us

A toxic combination of greedy investors and mismanaged finances meant the chain was forced to go bankrupt in September 2017. A company called Tru Kids Inc. bought the retailer in 2018 and opened two new stores in New Jersey and Texas, but these too shut during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Stein Mart

Discount department store chain Stein Mart first launched way back in 1908, the venture of Russian-Jewish immigrant Sam Stein. The business was originally called Stein's. In the 1960s, Sam's son Jake decided to add "Mart" to the name after being inspired by the success of Walmart.

For over 100 years, the department stores were a fixture in states including Mississippi, Texas, California, Florida, and Tennessee. By 2013, the company boasted 260 stores across 29 states – but changing shopping habits and the COVID pandemic would soon put a swift stop to the chain's dominance.

Stein Mart

After filing for bankruptcy on August 12, 2020, citing "significant financial distress," Stein Mart permanently closed its brick-and-mortar stores.

It sold all its intellectual property for $6 million to Retail Ecommerce Venture, a company that has purchased other struggling brands, including Pier 1 and Dressbarn. Stein Mart relaunched in early 2021 for online sales only. 

Lord & Taylor

Founded in 1826, Lord & Taylor was America's oldest department store brand. By the start of the 19th century, there were branches across New York City, including its flagship store on Fifth Avenue. It quickly became one of the go-to places for America's elite, famous for its whimsical window displays and exclusive stock.

The brand continued to expand over the next century, opening locations in Texas and Illinois. But, rocked by a series of leadership changes and company controversies, Lord & Taylor began to find itself on shaky ground. And then COVID hit...

Lord & Taylor

In 2019, Lord & Taylor closed 10 stores, including its flagship on Fifth Avenue in New York. That same year, clothing rental company Le Tote bought the brand for $100 million, hoping to turn it around. However, Le Tote also filed for bankruptcy in the summer of 2020 when both companies ran out of cash, largely due to the pandemic.

Saadia Group purchased Lord & Taylor and relaunched the brand as an online-only business in April 2021. By that August, it had been revealed that a number of former Lord & Taylor stores would be repurposed by the co-working space SaksWorks, a partnership between Saks Fifth Avenue and WeWork. Three stores in Massachusetts were earmarked to be converted into life science facilities. 

Stage Stores

Houston-based Stage Stores had long operated its department stores in small towns across rural America. Found in 42 states, the company had grand plans to convert all of its brands, which included Goody's and Bealls, to the Gordmans discount store label by the end of 2020. 

However, the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to that, as well as to the company's 700+ stores...

Stage Stores

Stage Stores declared bankruptcy on May 11, 2020. Bealls Inc, a separate company that only had permission to use the name 'Bealls' in three states, purchased Stage Stores' intellectual property in October that year for just $7 million, while the chain and its remaining subsidiaries were later bought out by New York e-commerce company Brand X. Although reports claimed Brand X had plans to relaunch some of Stage Stores' brands online, the retailer itself is now considered defunct.

As Retail Strategies president Lacy Beasley put it: "In rural communities across the country, Stage Stores and Gordmans are the top department store options. This will leave a large void in the market if the real estate is not backfilled with a strong soft goods replacement."

Family Video

After 42 years in business, Family Video announced in 2021 that it was closing all of its stores for good. The chain had started out as a video rental store, before adapting to DVD and Blu-ray, and had managed to survive the industry's move to streaming while rivals, including Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, hadn't.

And while Family Video had admittedly shrunk a little since 2018, it still went into 2020 with 500 stores located mainly across the Midwest. 

Family Video

The pandemic put paid to that. As stay-at-home orders dramatically reduced footfall and movie releases were at an all-time low, Family Video started to close stores.

By the end of 2020, it had just 250 locations, with the brand announcing the following month that it was closing all its remaining stores.

Fry's Electronics

This California-based business was founded in 1985 by the three Fry brothers, who had the goal of providing "a one-stop-shopping environment for the Hi-Tech Professional."

Fry's Electronics grew to 30 stores across nine states and shocked customers in February 2021 when it announced that the business was shutting its doors for good.

Fry's Electronics

Fry's didn't adapt and improve its online shopping operations as fast as its rivals, meaning the impact of COVID was severely felt by the business.

Many of its stores were themed, including its Burbank, California location (pictured), where a UFO appeared to be crashing through the store. It was another sad loss in a turbulent time.

Woolworth's

The original five-and-dime store, the first Woolworth's was opened by Frank Winfield Woolworth in 1879 in Utica, New York.

After a slow start, the company expanded across the country, bringing its clever concept to the rest of America. The chain began diversifying in the 1930s, ditching the five-and-dime selling point. By the 1960s, the typical Woolworth's was essentially a full-scale department store. 

Woolworth's

Increased competition from retailers such as Walmart and Target led to a drop in profits in the 1980s and 1990s, but Woolworth's sporting goods division stayed buoyant.

As a result, the chain closed in 1997 and the company instead moved its entire focus to sporting goods, eventually changing its name to Foot Locker. 

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