13 Stores You Will Never Shop At Again

In memoriam to the stores that helped shape your youth.

1. Contempo Casuals

Contempo Casuals is best know for being one Cher’s favorite stores in the movie Clueless. The stores first opened in the 1960s and they closed in 2001. Its parent company, Wet Seal, Inc., converted all stores (that were still open) into Wet Seals.

Via: flickr.com

2. Merry-Go-Round

Merry-Go-Round was founded in 1968. The nationwide chain saw huge expansion throughout the ‘80s and early ‘90s. In 1996, it closed all 536 stores.

Via: fuckyeahugly90sclothes.tumblr.com

3. Warner Bros. Studio Store

The Warner Bros. Studio Store operated from 1991–2001.

Via: flickr.com

4. Imaginarium

The educational toy store first began popping up in malls in the late ‘80s. By the mid-’90s the chain began slowly closing stores, and by 2003 its parent company, Toys ”R” Us Inc., closed all remaining stores.

Via: fantastic-flashback.tumblr.com

5. County Seat

County Seat was founded in 1973 and had 740 stores at its peak. The chain closed in 1999.

Via: flickriver.com

6. Blockbuster Music

Blockbuster Music was created in 1992, after its parent company, Blockbuster Inc., acquired the Sound Warehouse and Music Plus music chains. The chain closed in 1998 when it was sold to Wherehouse Entertainment.

Via: infiniteetc.blogspot.com

7. Chess King

Chess King was founded in 1968 and grew to over 500 locations by the mid-‘80s. In the early ‘90s, the chain began to see a large sales decline (mainly due to changing fashion trends). Chess King officially closed on Nov. 14, 1995.

Via: onesizeneverfitsall.oes.org

8. Waldenbooks

Waldenbooks was founded in 1933, and within 15 years, it had grown to over 250 locations. It merged with Borders in 1994 and slowly began downsizing stores. By 2011, all remaining Waldenbooks stores closed when its parent company, Borders Group, filed for liquidation.

Via: flickr.com

9. Suncoast Motion Picture Company

Suncoast Motion Picture Company was founded in 1986, and it reached a peak of about 170 stores in 2006. Due to poor sales, its parent company, Trans World Entertainment Corp., decided to close around 150 stores nationwide.

Via: ryanrules

10. K·B Toys

K·B Toys (previously known as Kay Bee Toys) was founded in 1922. At its peak, K·B operated over 1,300 stores in all 50 states. The chain began its going-out-of-business sales in December 2008 and officially closed its doors on Feb. 9, 2009.

11. Sam Goody

Sam Goody was first established in 1951 and saw rapid expansion throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. But by 2006, its parent company, The Musicland Group, had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and was acquired by its competitor Trans World Entertainment.

Transworld announced its intention to focus on the F.Y.E. brand and converted all remaining Sam Goody stores to F.Y.E. stores.

Via: floridapanther.com

12. B. Dalton

B. Dalton was founded in 1966 and operated 798 stores at its peak. Barnes & Noble acquired the chain in 1987 and continued to operate it until late 2009, officially closing in January 2010.

Via: latimesblogs.latimes.com

13. Miller’s Outpost

Miller’s Outpost was founded in 1972 and had rapid growth throughout the late ‘80s and early ‘90s in the western U.S. After changing its name to Anchor Blue in the late ‘90s, the company began to see poor sales. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2009 and officially closed all its stores on Feb. 17, 2011.

Via: flickr.com