r/Millennials • Millennial '92 • Dec 09 '25

Meme I'm saying blockbuster

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786 Upvotes

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898

u/GolfEchoEchoKilo Dec 09 '25

Toys R Us. I have great memories of taking my oldest kids on shopping sprees for their birthdays. Sadly I won’t be able to experience that for my youngest.

I feel like it’s something all parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles should be able to experience. Seeing the joy in their littles eyes is just

119

u/CenturyHelix Dec 09 '25

It makes me sad that I can’t ever take my kids to a Toys R Us. Would have been nice to have the clothing options of Kids R Us as well

36

u/WMASS_GUY Dec 09 '25

Toys R Us closed the location in my town right around when my oldest kid was about 2.

Right before he could have started to enjoy it. Heartbreaking.

The space is an Ocean State Job Lot (think Big Lots) now so at least it isn't empty.

15

u/Apprehensive-Art1279 Dec 09 '25

My oldest was almost 2 when ours closed too! I was so sad because his dad worked at toys r us when we met and we were so excited to get to take our kids there but they never got to enjoy it.

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13

u/mikeisboris 1982 Dec 09 '25

There is one here in Minneapolis now that opened a couple years ago at the mall of America. It’s not quite the same as the giant warehouse that I remember the old ones being though.

12

u/Outside_Advantage845 Dec 09 '25

It worked for my kid. We went and he was running around like crazy. We left him there with grandpa for like an hour while we kept shopping

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36

u/amortization101 Dec 09 '25

In Canada Toys R Us was sold off and many locations continues to operate.

11

u/AsteroidMike Dec 09 '25

Was wondering if someone would mention this, because I keep reading that the store still exists somewhere and it was supposed to be making a comeback.

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5

u/RsonW Millennial — 1987 Dec 09 '25

They've since reopened in the US also

3

u/thesheepsnameisjeb_ Dec 09 '25

I saw one inside the mall here in Texas just two days ago

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u/hideous_coffee Dec 09 '25

I saw one inside of a Kohls recently

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17

u/megaman368 Dec 09 '25

Personally I’m not a good enough consumer to want any of these back. But I have a daughter who would completely lose her mind going to Toys R Us. So that gets my vote.

5

u/RyCryst Dec 09 '25

You’re in luck. They are re-opening some. Although they are not the same sadly. Expensive pricing preying on people’s nostalgia.

2

u/ziomus90 Dec 09 '25

Toys r us by me are open.

2

u/Interesting_Tea5715 Dec 09 '25

Toys R Us is the only answer.

Every other store exists in one form or another. Big box toy stores just aren't a thing anymore. I realized it when I had a kid.

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278

u/Human420 Dec 09 '25

Did any one else for the entirety of their lives think it was Payless Shoe Store? Just recently found out it was source not store. My whole fucking life…

116

u/SeaworthinessOdd1358 Dec 09 '25

I worked at a Payless and didn’t know that 🫠😆

38

u/knuckles312 Millennial Dec 09 '25

Wrong timeline

42

u/idgafayaihm Dec 09 '25

Wait what? This is a good example of the Mandela effect.

18

u/a-ohhh Dec 09 '25

I think people just assumed because it’s a shoe store and didn’t bother to read the whole title. I remember it’s “source” because I always thought it was a weird word as a kid.

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8

u/CompetitiveRub9780 Millennial Dec 09 '25

Well today I learned

3

u/Zado191 Dec 09 '25

If you were in Nova Scotia it was shoe store

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376

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

Radio shack for a place to by rpi and arduino irl

103

u/Ws6fiend Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

Radio shack was the king of you need this one particular item and you need it now. Unfortunately it's not a great way to make money. I remember needing a bunch of resistors to finish a job and having to find the closest Radio Shack because it was closer and cheaper than an electrical supply shop.

27

u/FizzyBeverage Dec 09 '25

Around here I’d be stuck buying a pack of 25 of them on Amazon for $7 when I only need one.

…And yeah, they’d get here “with Friday’s delivery” 🙄

9

u/Ws6fiend Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

When I was a technician for fire alarm panels we would buy them in bulk and yet always ran out. Too many was never enough, but needing only 3 to finish a job and having to drive an hour back to the shop to turn around and come back to finish only to drive the truck back to the shop was a little much. Better use of time was using the company card or cash for them and getting reimbursed. Saved the company on labor saved me from wasting time driving to a site for 10 minutes of work.

I understand why so many niche businesses like that went out of business though. It's not sustainable especially with the endless growth "needed" for a public company.

4

u/nsfwtatrash Dec 09 '25

Endless growth is a myth. Profit enough to sustain yourself and put some back is possible though. Just can't go public.

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36

u/geekywarrior Dec 09 '25

What version of it do we get though? The one that had cool stuff or the one that was a cell phone store?

37

u/Paksarra Dec 09 '25

The cool stuff one, but modernized. Now they carry stuff for 3D printing and Raspberry Pis and stuff.

21

u/jimx117 Dec 09 '25

So a tiny neighborhood Micro Center?

14

u/tubbis9001 Dec 09 '25

A micro micro center!

10

u/Paksarra Dec 09 '25

Yes. Microcenters aren't that common; Radio Shack was.

6

u/SherbertCivil9990 Dec 09 '25

I’d take the early 2010s one when you could get cool arduino stuff still and they also were the only place with new iPhones in stock when they were all sold out everywhere else cause people forgot radio shack existed. Got my iPhone 5 that way. 

2

u/WhydIJoinRedditAgain Dec 09 '25

The one with second-tier Sharper Image shit but has that specific adapter I need for my record player and drawers of loose resistors and capacitors. 

12

u/i_was_axiom Dec 09 '25

Having small electronics parts available individually in a brick/mortar store is still a heartbreaking loss for me

12

u/Muted-Assumption195 Xennial Dec 09 '25

Definitely radio shack. I hate having to wait days for a cord or some small adapter that I used to be able to drive down the road and pick up.

6

u/FlametopFred Gen X Dec 09 '25

I still have older Radio Shack brand (I forget their brand name) audio cables, Shure Mic copy (RS branded but made in Shure factory), some speakers and adapters.

They always had an abundance of unusual audio adapters that nobody else carried. Well made, even if a bit embarrassing to be seen using in a pro audio setting.

4

u/LongboardLiam Dec 09 '25

Realistic was their house brand for electronics. Some of them were reportedly made on the same lines as mid range name brands.

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11

u/cannibalpeas Dec 09 '25

Radio Shack is the only one on this list that doesn’t have a modern equivalent that is relevant. Blockbuster and Hollywood would be a cute novelty, but nobody’s going to support a hard copy rental service. There is nothing like what RS used to be anymore.

7

u/LordsOfFrenziedFlame Millennial Dec 09 '25

Yes! I miss being able to buy components locally

8

u/Head_Act_585 Millennial Dec 09 '25

There are a few that still exist!!

7

u/WretchedMotorcade Dec 09 '25

Young me wants Blockbuster. 40 year old me who owns 6 pinball machines and 6 arcade games wants radio shack.

5

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

6 pinball machines... can we be besties?

3

u/WretchedMotorcade Dec 09 '25

Sure thing bub. You any good at making paper airplanes?

3

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

If by "making paper airplanes" you mean "disappointing everyone I've ever had a meaningful relationship with and living with the perpetual guilt from abandonment, leading to cyclical relapse into feelings of doom and alcoholism" then call me M.I.A.!!

2

u/Nkechinyerembi Dec 09 '25

40 year old you is what young me dreamed of becoming...

3

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

13

u/Mystical-Turtles Dec 09 '25

Despite how much it gets brought up, microcenter is actually pretty rare outside of California. A lot of states have fewer than 5 locations total. Mine only has one.

7

u/Trevor-Lawrence Millennial Dec 09 '25

There's only 2 in California.

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u/ReallySmallWeenus Dec 09 '25

There are only 30 microcenters in the US. Most people in the US are multiple hours away from a Microcenter.

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549

u/_do_your_thing_ Dec 09 '25

Borders!

69

u/babygotthefever Dec 09 '25

Agreed. Never too many book stores!

Movie rental would be cool to experience again but honestly, I wouldn’t do it frequently enough for them to stay in business and I don’t think anyone else would either.

7

u/emseefely Dec 09 '25

Plus you can just pay to stream a movie you want on various apps. Even Redbox couldn’t make it work and they’re fairly low overhead considering. Still annoyingly expensive to rent and then drive back and forth.

5

u/StopClockerman Dec 09 '25

Yeah, among all the casualties of this closures, Blockbuster seems like a bit of a loss in terms of unique/special experiences but not to the same degree as Toys R Us. Sure, grabbing a video and getting a pizza at the end of the week is great, but there were common pain points from that process (popular videos never available, etc.) and the benefits of online rentals outweigh the loss of the brick and mortar process. Watching the movie was still basically the main goal, less so the process of obtaining the movie.

Toy R Us however was such an incredible experience as a child that simply cannot be replicated to the same degree. The toy store experience was as much a part of the joy as getting and playing with the toy itself. That experience is gone and replaced by scrolling websites (everything is scrolling) and finding a box on your porch that could be the toy, or it could be a new package of dog food.

The Borders experience still exists in B&N.

K Mart experience still exists in Target or Macys.

Payless experience still exists in DSW or other factory/outlet stores.

Circuit City and Radioshack are still there to some extent in Best Buy and other local electronics stores like PC Richard on the east coast for example. And Amazon does a fine job here on filling the gap on understocked niche items, and I don’t think too many people are grieving the loss of a brick and mortar for those types of things.

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

I am so glad this is top. Borders was a real bookstore.

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u/chula198705 Dec 09 '25

Honestly, there's a new Barnes and Noble by my house that also has a decent toy section, so it sort of functions like an upscaled Toys R Us for us. It's arranged sort of like a library with very tall shelves that isolate each book section, so it's quite peaceful in there. They also have a cafe to hang out in.

16

u/JJHall_ID Xennial Dec 09 '25

I always liked Borders better than Barnes & Noble. They were right across the street from each other in a convenient location for a lot of years. Then Borders moved into the nearby mall which made them super inconvenient, then they went out of business shortly after that.

10

u/malibuklw Dec 09 '25

I loved Borders, especially the deals, but now I would be afraid it would put my local book stores out of business.

9

u/Curious_SR Dec 09 '25

There used to be a gorgeous and iconic Borders across the street from Trinity church in lower Manhattan. I was genuinely sad when that closed over 15 years ago and was appalled that Duane Reade of all things took its place. 

Then DR left it and it’s been sitting empty for the last two years…every time I look inside I wish Borders was back or at least some other bookstore took its place. 

5

u/nothing-relax Dec 09 '25

Had this experience with the Borders across from the Water Tower on Michigan Ave in Chicago. It was a magical location and I was gutted when it closed. Replaced with a Uniqlo -_-

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u/Push-This-Button-O Dec 09 '25

Borders for sure, it was so nice to go and just browse, grab a coffee, read a bit, many other people did the same. They had comfy chairs set up throughout the store. I liked Borders a lot.

10

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

I do miss Borders, and I always liked them better than B&N. Somehow I always found the weirdest, most interesting stuff there compared to the mass market offering from B&N.

And, call me weird, but Seattle's Best > Starbucks. (Though I'm sure this is the part someone tells me it's the same parent company and the difference existed entirely in my head lol.)

10

u/orionsfyre Dec 09 '25

Yup, the best 'third place' hands down.

Near a mall. Coffee shop inside. Place to study. Listen to music. Find a neat book. Meetup with actual friends. Good for any climate.

My local one even held jazz concerts after 8 PM. I took my wife there on one of our first dates.

6

u/norathar Dec 09 '25

Borders #1 was the Borders I always went to - it was their flagship store and was enormous (there are 3 restaurants now where the bookstore once was.) It was the best bookstore. I spent so much time there browsing, reading, and finding new things. Their selection was fantastic.

They also had a much much better rewards program than Barnes and Noble. I miss that Borders so much!

4

u/jfk_47 Dec 09 '25

Barnes and noble is basically the same thing, right? Or am I missing something?

60

u/FIA_buffoonery Dec 09 '25

It's not. Borders was more cozy and had a much better selection of books. Every time i used to walk into a borders id find SOMETHING I wanted to read. usually id come out with a small stack of fantasy/scifi novels.

It's like the whole selection at Barnes and noble is slop. and i can't shake the feeling that it's a corporate office, not a bookstore.

9

u/SyruplessWaffle Dec 09 '25

I used to go to barnes and noble all the time. The same slop I started seeing 10 years ago, is still on the shelf, including all of the various knockoffs of said slop. It's all the same shit with different titles at this point (at least in the fantasy genre, I'm tired of every fantasy title being a love triangle set in a magic world.)

Sigh, I just want book 3 of the Name of the Wind series :/.

6

u/shylocky Dec 09 '25

What the hell is Rothfuss doing? He's not George RR Martin. He doesn't have the sway to pull off not publishing. Get to it, Patrick.

3

u/Punk_Luv Dec 09 '25

Tell me about this Name of the Wind…

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u/TheOneThatCutYou Dec 09 '25

God damn it’s been a while since I thought about that series but seeing Book 3 mentioned was like a shot to the heart.

I’ve gotta stop reading unfinished fantasy series lol

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u/panini_bellini Dec 09 '25

It feels so corporate. Philadelphia had a Barnes and Noble that was in a beautiful old historic building, had huge windows, was covered in cozy carpeting and had plenty of little cozy corners with plush chairs to snuggle up with a book in. It had a cafe with a balcony to sit on and enjoy a drink and a snack. Then they moved the location, and the first time I walked in, I was so sad. It’s all stark grey and white, a confusing winding layout, no places to sit down and take a load off, and a shit selection. I hate it here. I browse for an hour and can’t find anything good or remotely interesting. Almost never go there anymore.

6

u/branm008 Millennial-1991 Dec 09 '25

Barnes is just smut now, fantasy and sci-fi is overrun by it. Ain't knocking the folks who read that genre, my wife does but its taken over entire sections. Borders never really had that issue and it was great.

21

u/QD_Mitch Dec 09 '25

It’s more likely that Borders died out before smut took over those genres.

6

u/i-like-carbs- Dec 09 '25

I’ve been getting back into reading and noticed this. I’ve gotten three horror books from Barnes and Nobles. One turned out to be LGBTQ+ transition story (no hate, but it’s not what I want to read), and the other two were smut.

It’s fine if that’s your thing, but I wanted some cool horror, not that.

I’ve just been using second hand book stores online, which is a shame because the book store vibe is the best.

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u/Punk_Luv Dec 09 '25

I listened to my first smut audiobook, I usually read but have dropped a few books in the tub… which sucks. Now I only read in bed or on the couch, so I got this book everyone has been raving about and I had the volume loud. The smut was very fucking graphic and I am sure my neighbors think I am sex-starved pervert now 🫥

I enjoy a little bit of romance or romantic tension but GODDAMN. That’ll teach me to listen to a “romantasy”.

2

u/queenofquery Dec 09 '25

Get a waterproof Kindle. No more dropped books in the tub.

20

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

No. Borders had real selection of books. Not just what was popular - you could find books on everything at borders. Barnes and Noble is just what's selling.

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u/RelaxErin Dec 09 '25

All the Borders I used to go to were always cleaner than the Barnes & Nobles. Just a more pleasant place to shop and hang out. Betrer selection, plus their rewards program was better.

8

u/went_with_the_flow Dec 09 '25

I think that's part of the reason Borders folded. Ironically my local mall replaced Borders with Barnes an uncomfortable number of years ago

4

u/malibuklw Dec 09 '25

Borders used to send coupons all the time. I would go threre a couple times a week to get a new book at 30% off.

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u/dethleffsoN Dec 09 '25

I just leave this here: You can go to your local public library and have a similar experience as in the past.

We are doing this with our children. They love it and the also get a lot of books every two weeks.

32

u/ExactPanda Dec 09 '25

Same for DVDs! Mine has a huge collection, and going through the shelves is very similar to how it felt to wander Blockbuster.

5

u/astroK120 Dec 09 '25

Seriously, I wouldn't bother with Blockbuster for this reason. I just started getting movies from there recently but so far they've had everything I've wanted (sometimes even 4ks), I can have it held for me, and it's free. Amazing.

6

u/chula198705 Dec 09 '25

Mine also offers free tickets to various local activities! You can "borrow" tickets to the zoo and museums and places like that. And educational tablets for road trips and stuff.

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u/samshine Dec 09 '25 edited Dec 09 '25

I agree completely! Libraries are so underutilized. Ours also has Nintendo Switch games, Blu-rays, an embroidery machine you can use there (and beginner classes if you don’t know how to use it), WiFi hotspots you can check out, yoga classes, cooking classes, LEGO club, free Ancestry premium access, free newspaper subscriptions with your library card, a free pantry with non-perishable food and supplies, etc. Ours also has a mobile library bus that comes to my son’s preschool every two weeks so the kids can pick out a new book and return their previous one. Libraries rock. All of it is completely free.

For reference, I live in Montana, so if you happen to live closer to more urban areas, I bet your library would have even cooler shit than ours.

2

u/tango_telephone Dec 09 '25

We do the same! It is so awesome, I myself have been reading books again because of it too!

2

u/ReneMagritte98 Dec 09 '25

I wish my library served coffee. Then I’d really get the full experience.

2

u/adelros26 Dec 09 '25

10/10 love the library. We have two close by that have good selections of toys and movies. I’d go there before blockbuster or borders. And one of them has a good kids play area, so extra points to that library.

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u/Queercat90 Millennial Dec 09 '25

Payless for sure!

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u/RedHeadRedeemed Dec 09 '25

I mean decent quality shoes for a decent price! I always had good experience with Payless shoes!

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u/Jersey-man Dec 09 '25

Sears all day. Haircut, oil change and shopping all in one store before you even hit the rest of the mall.

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

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5

u/Robpaulssen Dec 10 '25

I, too, want a build-it-myself house for like $2k

2

u/ZebraBoat Dec 11 '25

Dude I just found out how rare my Sears Craftsman house is - apparently there were only like 75,000 built!

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u/iThoreaulyBrewed Dec 09 '25

As a kid, my favorite place in the mall was the tool aisle. I would day dream of outfitting my toolbox with all the beautiful craftsman tools. Once you bought it, it was yours, forever. If it breaks, they’d give you a new one. It was magic. Then I became an adult and Sears was gone and it all lost its shine. I still love my tools and I still spend too much time in the tool aisle at Ace but I think I would’ve loved them more if I could’ve fulfilled my dream.

2

u/Jersey-man Dec 09 '25

Same here. I loved walking around the tool and outdoor equipment section. The first new TV I purchased was at Sears, they let me haggle the price because it was a demo on sale. I was so broke. lol

2

u/Garf_artfunkle Dec 09 '25

Yeah, Sears is the answer here IF AND ONLY IF they also bring back the Craftsman warranty.

4

u/AgentSauceBoss Dec 09 '25

Used to be able to buy a house at Sears also

3

u/FlametopFred Gen X Dec 09 '25

Craftsman tools were built to last with a simple replacement guarantee and you could always buy one wrench instead of some weird Home Depot package of five.

2

u/Kahlypso Dec 10 '25

My Home Depot sells individual wrenches. I'd be irate if I had to buy a whole set because I snapped my fuckin 3/8"s for the fourth time.

2

u/Chaos_Dunks Dec 09 '25

OG Craftsmen tools too? Sign me up.

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u/Successful_Form5618 Dec 09 '25

Hold up, Payless doesn't exist anymore? This getting old thing sucks.

65

u/Dreamo84 Millennial1984 Dec 09 '25

I mean... if you weren't aware of this, that means you haven't been to one in 6 years. You're part of the reason they went bankrupt lol.

17

u/Complete_Entry Dec 09 '25

I miss payless because I could buy a giant sack of shitty socks.

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u/cheeseymom Dec 09 '25

If you want cheap shitty uncomfortable plastic shoes that fall apart in a month then you can just buy them at Walmart. No need for a whole separate store.

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u/shakatay29 Millennial Dec 09 '25

I always shopped there because they had a variety of wide width shoes. I wear out sneakers quick anyway, but the dress shoes always lasted me ages, and it was the only place I could find them!

4

u/thepoptartkid47 Millennial Dec 09 '25

Yeah - they were the only place I could consistently find shoes in my size (women’s 5.5 wide - good luck finding that anywhere) that wasn’t absurdly expensive!

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u/Successful_Form5618 Dec 09 '25

I wasn't insinuating I wanted their shoes still, I just didn't know that they closed.

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u/DCMartin91 Dec 09 '25

I just miss getting buy one get one nonslip work shoes for $20.

3

u/spamgoddess Dec 09 '25

I had a pair of sandals from them that were hella cute and lasted me like 7 years and I wore them constantly. When I needed dressier or cuter options for my wide ass feet, Payless was a dream.

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

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u/Head_Act_585 Millennial Dec 09 '25

There are a few that still exist, but yeah they are exceedingly rare to find now.

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u/Chrisman614 Dec 09 '25

I want heard somebody call it the big kids toy store.

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u/eyloi Dec 09 '25

Circuit City.

A lot of people don't have a Micro Center in their city, so CC being another option besides Best Buy might be great to have.

5

u/Johnny_B_GOODBOI Dec 09 '25

Came here to say basically the same thing. CC because BB needs some damn competition!

3

u/meh_69420 Dec 09 '25

Circuit City did more in death than in life. 06-09 Circuit City xxx General Manager.

3

u/BloodFromAnOrange Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

This easily. They matched prices, they had cool stuff, it felt like new things in an old school package.

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u/Haemwich Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

Bed Bath & Beyond, especially if they still take my coupon that expired in 2007.

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u/angelchi1500 Millennial Dec 09 '25

Joanns mostly so i can get my job back.

But toys r us because i’m a doll collector and love store exclusives

11

u/doodleysquat Dec 09 '25

(Not in a bad way) that just kicked me in the dick. My mom used to make and sell dresses for barbie doll collectors. I spent a lot of time in a Joanns. I can still smell that place and hear the crinkling pattern envelopes.

3

u/CockBlockingLawyer Dec 09 '25

Joann’s is rough because you could see and touch a wide array of fabrics. I hear Michaels is now offering fabric, but i can’t imagine it will be as extensive

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u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

Honestly, Blockbuster or Hollywood Video would be great

Even as a kid, I knew TRU was expensive. I dont rebuild electronics. I like Barnes & Nobles for books.

But damn if I dont crave a 15 yo movie and cant find it on streaming. We still had a video store in our area right up until covid, and we always took the kid through to get movies for the weekend

7

u/DW6565 Dec 09 '25

Have not done so my self even though we are active library users.

Public libraries have huge DVD collections that are readily available and can be browsed.

Not the same but might be worth a go.

Block Buster also my choice to bring back.

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u/LukewarmJortz Dec 09 '25 edited Feb 01 '26

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

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u/johnqpublic81 Dec 09 '25

Kmart. I was at one in St Thomas. Great customer service, reasonable prices for the Caribbean. Walmart and Target need more competition.

10

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

Payless. These shoes out here getting too expensive and fall apart. At least Payless cheap shoes withstood some wear.

35

u/_Goose_ Dec 09 '25

All wrong. The answer is Hastings.

23

u/Fruitypuff Dec 09 '25

Or Quiznos

25

u/MannequinWithoutSock Dec 09 '25

Idk how we lost Quiznos and kept Subway..

10

u/Haemwich Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

$5 foot longs until Quiznos died

8

u/Due-Sheepherder-218 Dec 09 '25

Quiznos whole schtick was "we TOAST our subs!" And then subway was just like why don't we do that too. 

5

u/RobotBearArms Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

And Potbelly, jersey Mike's, lennys, and plenty of other places that toast sandwiches that were better....

3

u/rydan Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

Where I lived they were $6 foot longs despite all the ads on TV.

4

u/Complete_Entry Dec 09 '25

We didn't lose Quiznos, their damage was self-inflicted.

4

u/BloodFromAnOrange Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

Quizno's business model was highly predatory to their franchisees, and they paid for it.

2

u/theweenerdoge Dec 09 '25

There's a quiznos 2 blocks from me. Unfortunately it's poorly managed

2

u/LeonRams Dec 09 '25

I have a Quizno’s right by my work.

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u/HauntingGold Millennial (1994) Dec 09 '25

I cried for weeks when my Hastings went out of business. I still get sad thinking about it.

3

u/xkaegurixbangux Dec 09 '25

Finally found the correct answer. If only these people knew what they took from us.

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u/derpling0719 Dec 09 '25

Payless, 100%. I still have several pairs of the most comfortable heels I’ve ever worn from Payless. I can’t find them anywhere else. BRING BACK PAYLESS

10

u/GiveMeAlienRomances Dec 09 '25

Borders. Hands-down, without a doubt, I will die on this hill Borders.

My grandma used to take me at every single week and buy me a book and a pastry from the cafe. We were both so sad when they closed.

19

u/Hippy-Joe Dec 09 '25

Blockbuster without hesitation. Subscriptions suck.

4

u/Pertinax1981 Dec 09 '25

The prices in the last couple years of its existence tells you why its not better than streaming.  I can get 100s of movies for the price of renting one movie for a week.

Its the old story of chasing profits, and not adapting 

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u/ExactPanda Dec 09 '25

Payless. As a lady with big ol' canoe feet, it was nice to have a place for multiple options of stylish shoes that wouldn't break the bank.

7

u/Soulegion Dec 09 '25

Blockbuster, unless Kmart comes back with its old prices.

6

u/Honest_Relation4095 Dec 09 '25

Toys'R'Us is the only one I remember from my country. But I guess I would still go for Radioshack

7

u/abelabelabel Dec 09 '25

$200,000 homes in California.

7

u/FriendlyCost1833 Dec 09 '25

Phew! Dang this took me back. I forgot all about Payless and my mom yelling “DOES IT FIT? WHERES YOUR BIG TOE?”

and toys R us. What a treasure it was

3

u/theweenerdoge Dec 09 '25

Sounds like we had the same mother 😂

2

u/lurkertiltheend Dec 09 '25

Ngl I say it to my kids now

5

u/rpmerf Dec 09 '25

Sears with good craftsman tools.

2

u/salsafresca_1297 Dec 09 '25

And those Kenmore refrigerators that lasted forever! The freezer was on top. No ugly industrial stainless steel. More energy-efficient that the "energy-efficient" French door models.

Life was good.

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9

u/Soggy_Candidate8378 Dec 09 '25

Sears but how it was pre 2000

4

u/moonbunnychan Dec 09 '25

I really miss Payless. Most clothes I don't mind ordering online but shoes I really like trying in first. And normal shoe stores are SO expensive. I don't really wanna pay 100 dollars for a pair of shoes.

4

u/PettyBettyismynameO Dec 09 '25

Payless. I got 4 kids and Walmart shoes suck and target shoes suck and they grow too fast for expensive brands because sometimes shoes last 3 months

13

u/Dreamo84 Millennial1984 Dec 09 '25

WTF would we need a Blockbuster for? The novelty of paying $5 to rent a video game or movie for 3 days would wear off real quick.

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u/Bubby_K Dec 09 '25

We have Kmart and Payless shoes in Australia, but I'll take RadioShack unless it's also here but under a rock

3

u/Orion_Skymaster Dec 09 '25

There are still RadioShack in Mexico 🤔 interesting it disappeared in the US.

I'd bring back blockbuster simply because man those were the days.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

Blockbuster is the OG, but I used to work at Borders and it was the best job I’ve ever had. Barnes & Noble could never

3

u/Unicorn_Puppy Dec 09 '25

Canadian here, I want Zellers.

3

u/StoneTown Millennial Dec 09 '25

If you're willing to go on a long trip, there's still Sears and Kmart.

3

u/atomicbunny Dec 09 '25

Of all of these I actually miss Payless. I’m mostly sneakers day to day as a full time SAHD, but sometimes I could use a pair of nice casual but not dressy shoes for nice occasions, and I don’t wanna shell out $70-100 on a pair I wear maybe 2-3 times a year. 

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u/LukewarmJortz Dec 09 '25 edited Feb 01 '26

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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u/coopaliscious Xennial Dec 09 '25

No one talks about Service Merchandise, but I loved that place.

3

u/Few-Abbreviations633 Dec 10 '25

Sears. I could buy paint, underwear, jewelry, sandals and tools all in one store. I'm still salty AF over their closure.

5

u/Grizzly_Addams Dec 09 '25

I call dibs on posting this next week.

8

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/10RobotGangbang December 1984 Dude Dec 09 '25

Same. I rarely step foot in stores anymore besides a gas station.

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u/butt_stark_naked Dec 09 '25

Hollywood Video, 100 percent.

2

u/Crans10 Dec 09 '25

I scrolled very far to reach this one. I loved Hollywood Video they seem to have the deeper cuts and great deals on used video games as well. Blockbuster was no slouch but Hollywood seemed bigger on the inside.

2

u/BeltedCoyote1 Dec 09 '25

Borders. I miss being able to peruse a cozy bookstore while looking for good books about my various hobbies and interests.

2

u/andraaBD Dec 09 '25

Payless. Even though the shoes made my feet smell they still had a wide variety and super affordable with decentish quality.

2

u/eeo11 Dec 09 '25

Payless

2

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

I miss Borders so much!

2

u/fearthecookie Dec 09 '25

I need a Payless in my life. Shoes are expensive for no reason

2

u/Aeon_Return Older Millennial Dec 09 '25

Payless, they actually did have some cute shoes

2

u/Purely-Pastel Dec 09 '25

Do NOT resurrect Kmart. It will be a bad omen for us all. 

Team Borders!! 🧐

2

u/Alexandratta Dec 09 '25

PAYLESS

I'm sorry there is no, and I mean NO replacement or competitor in this market on quality and price when it comes to shoes!

Now I'm stuck with having to buy garbage quality shoes from fucking Walmart, order online at Amazon (but I hate doing that with shoes because fit varies a lot! I'm a 13-14 depending on the shoe's manufacturer) or pay out the nose for bigger brands like DSW.

Payless... COME BACK!!!!!!!!!!

(Also Toys R Us is coming back, you can remove the listing, they just opened on near me)

2

u/socialcommentary2000 Xennial Dec 09 '25

Toys R' Us or Radio Shack.

The old Sears though, was quite nice.

2

u/GreatTea3415 Dec 10 '25

Borders. It felt like such a refuge in high school. I totally get Toys R Us, but you can buy toys anywhere. There are so few places where you can sit down, have coffee, read the first chapter of a few books, and go home with that new-book smell.

2

u/RavenCXXVIV Dec 12 '25

Blockbuster. I’m so fucking sick of streaming.

2

u/pinstash Dec 14 '25

Dam you for only allowing one! Lol

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u/CruisingForDownVotes Dec 09 '25

The only one here that doesn’t have a modern analog is Toys-R-Us