15 stores from the 90s that dominated the high street that are now gone forever

One of the biggest high street brands of our childhood was Woolworths, affectionately known as Woolies. The brand was known for selling everything from clothes to household goods to even stationery. But the highlight of any shopping trip there was its iconic Pick 'N' Mix, which was popularised by its American parent company, although it proved to be the bane of staff members who regularly needed to restock the containers to keep the hordes of shoppers happy.

However, despite dominating the UK high street since the 1920s, Woolworths sadly couldn't last forever. As the credit crunch of 2008 hit, customers stopped purchasing as much as before, and in November 2008, it was confirmed that Woolworths was going into administration. Closing down sales followed the month after, and on 6 January 2009, the stores closed their doors in the UK forever.

Another staple of our childhood was Debenhams, and I have vivid memories of exploring the three storeys of the brand in my hometown. Their flagship stores often occupied gorgeous buildings, guaranteeing that you would spot them while strolling around. The clothing store was originally founded in 1778, and customers would flock to the stores for high-quality clothing, furniture and beauty products.

However, the store eventually started encountering financial problems and went into administration in both 2019 and 2020. In 2021, Boohoo purchased the brand, but didn't retain any of its stores, closing them all permanently.

"I remember spending hours in Debenhams with my mum when I was a kid - no wonder they had a cafe for a half-time pitstop," HELLO!'s Homes Editor, Rachel Avery, remembers. "It had everything you needed all under one roof. Our closed-down Debenhams has now been renamed Shredenhams and is a skate park!"

Any successful visit to the high street always ended with you managing to convince your parents to take you into Toys "R" Us so you could get the latest must-have toy. The brand was initially a US invention, but it opened in the UK back in 1985, transforming the way we bought toys.

However, the brand started amassing unpaid debts, and in February 2018 the brand went into administration, closing all of its stores two months later. However, the store is slowly coming back to the UK, albeit as a part of other stores like TGJones and Hobbycraft.

Elle Wilson, HELLO!'s Business Manager, recounted: "Toys R Us is a lifelong memory in my family and will always be talked about between us. Any money that us six children got over Christmas. we would gather together and on 27 December every year we would do an annual family trip to Toys R Us.

"With Mum and Dad, us six kids would invade the huge store and use our money to pick a toy each. It was magical and exciting and one of the highlights of the Christmas period. We all loved it so much we do the same with all our little families with Smyths."

Back in the 90s, if you wanted to watch a movie or TV series, you needed to rent a physical copy of it from a store, and Blockbuster was the largest of these chains. Even though it only launched in 1985, it exploded in popularity in the 90s, having an empire that spanned many countries.

However, as streaming services, such as Netflix, started taking off, profits began plummeting. In 2010, the company filed for bankruptcy, before getting purchased by Dish Network. Stores have now closed entirely, bar one that exists in Bend, Oregon.

In its heyday, British Home Stores, also known as BHS, was one of the staple high street department stores, selling everything from clothing to homeware. The brand was founded in Brixton in the 1920s and was profitable enough that it could even open out-of-town stores.

But success can't last forever, and in 2015, BHS was sold off following major financial losses, and the following year it closed all of its stores. The brand was briefly relaunched in 2018, but the only remaining store bearing its name is located in Doha, Qatar.

One of the go-to places in the 90s for all of your electrical goods was Comet. The brand started in the 1930s originally as a place to go and charge batteries, before it branched out into all forms of electrical goods. In 1984, the store was acquired by Woolworths, who sold it to Kesa in 2003.

In 2011, the firm was acquired by OpCapita for just £2. It was subsequently placed into administration, with all branches being closed in 2012. However, in 2020, Comet was relaunched by Misco, albeit as an online-only retailer.

Before music ended up in our pockets, you needed to head down to a record or CD shop, and the jewel of the high street for this was Our Price, which first opened its doors back in 1971. The store went out of business in 2004 with competition driving parent company Virgin to close the doors. Despite closing its doors, Our Price has continued as an online company.

Speaking about his memories of the brand, HELLO!'s Associate Editor, George Stark, said: "In the 90s, Our Price was where you went for an ever-so-slightly cheaper CD - or cassette, though I'm not quite that old. It somehow managed to keep an indie feel despite being a massive high-street chain, standing tall as a cool alternative to giants like Virgin Megastore and HMV throughout the Britpop era."

Children of the 90s will no doubt have memories of walking around Dorothy Perkins with their mum as she browsed their branded items and clothing options. The fashion brand was founded in 1909, but in 1979, it was acquired by the Arcadia Group.

Arcadia was hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the brand entered administration, it was confirmed in 2021 that Boohoo would be purchasing Dorothy Perkins. Despite the fashion brand being rescued, all physical stores were sadly closed.

If you wanted casual wear in the 90s, then one of the best stores to head to was C&A. Despite being a Dutch brand, it became so popular in the UK that it was even referenced in an episode of Only Fools and Horses.

Despite C&A still operating 1,290 stores across the world, all branches in the UK were finally closed in 2001, owing to "continuing difficulties in the UK" which included the introduction of firms like Matalan. However, if UK customers want that nostalgia trip, the closest branches are in France.

Bay Trading Company was one of the most popular high street brands for fashion, including items that you'd want to wear for a night on the town. Despite being a start-up brand, it eventually had 135 stores nationwide and a 2.3 per cent market share for womenswear. In 2009, the brand went into administration, and it ceased trading in 2015.

Isabel Mohan, HELLO!'s Second Act Editor, joked: "Bay Trading was the one for a night out! Team your synthetic slip dress with some mules and a feather boa and the bouncer won't even ask for your fake NUS card."

One of the first introductions to teenagehood for young girls was Tammy Girl, a tween and teen fashion brand that captivated customers with its jeans, glittery one-shoulder tops and babydoll dresses.

The store was eventually acquired by BHS, and when the brand went into administration, Tammy Girl was pulled down with it. However, it has recently resurfaced, with ASOS homing the brand, although no physical locations remain.

While stores like Sketchers and Deichmann still find a home on the high street, one of the major shoe brands in the 90s was Barratts. The company was founded in Northampton in 1903, but exploded in popularity during the 60s, with a peak of 400 stores nationwide.

Despite enjoying the 90s, Barratts began facing stiff competition, and it started to suffer financially. The company went into administration three times, before it shut its doors for the final time in 2013.

Whether you were expecting or a new parent, the high street brand that catered to all of your needs was Mothercare. The brand was so popular at one point that it owned firms like the Early Learning Centre and Habitat.

However, even though Mothercare has established itself as a global brand, it started to suffer back at home, and in November 2019, it entered administration. All stores in the UK have now closed, although its products can still be purchased at retailers like Boots.

Jane Norman was one of the go-to stores on the high street for affordable fashion, and it featured plenty of trendy clothes that made it a favourite. The shop was established in 1952 as a sister brand of Peacocks.

In 2011, Jane Norman went into administration, but it was rescued by The Edinburgh Woollen Mill. In 2014, stores closed down, although they remained inside The Edinburgh Woollen Mill, before they ended the brand in 2018.

Wanted a quirky electronic toy? Then the store you needed to go to was The Gadget Shop, which was first opened in 1991. The brand was popular with teens, who were also able to purchase devices like iPods or DVD players, allowing them to have their own gadgets.

However, it collapsed in 2005 with the brand becoming defunct. Its closure came shortly after a similar store, The Discovery Store, fell into financial difficulties after a difficult Christmas period.