From independents to department stores and famous chains
In their heyday, these businesses were among the shops and department stores loved across our city and beyond.
This list isn't intended to be exhaustive. But if you have any suggestions of lost Liverpool shops, department stores, chains and more, let us know in the comments section below. And in the early 1960s, the barbers gained global attention when the Beatles came in for a haircut. By 1985, the brand opened a new shop on Bold Street and it McDonald's - who still call the site home - that opened a branch in the premises that same year.
It was from there that he expanded the shop from selling pianos and wireless radios to gramophone records and it soon became one of the biggest music outlets in the north of England. NEMS, located at 12-14 Whitechapel, played a key role in the early days of The Beatles - where they signed their first management contract with Brian in his offices above the shop in 1962.
24. Gimbles Gimbels had its massive flagship store on the prestigious Sixth Avenue and 34th Street in Manhattan, New York. And in 1976, Gimbles as it was spelt, opened in Great Charlotte Street, Liverpool. 22. Radio Rentals Radio Rentals led the way to offer domestic equipment rentals to thousands of households. It had sales and service locations across the UK, with the blue and white Radio Rentals logo being a common sight on many high streets - including Merseyside.
20. C&A C&A was founded in 1841 by German-Dutch brothers Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer, before it became a major presence throughout the UK. According to their website, Clemens and August’s ancestors had long been successful traders in northern Holland, leaving the family farm in 1671 to sell their wares as travelling linen merchants and it was in Mettingen in the 1830s that Clemens and August were apprenticed as little more than boys to learn their trade.
18. Blockbuster Before DVDs and then streaming services like Disney+, Netflix and Apple TV - there was Blockbuster. In the 90s, video was king and many Merseyside families would head to their local branch to pick the perfect film for a night in.17. Kwik Save Kwik Save opened its first store in Rhyl in 1959. The chain continued to expand, and by the mid-1990s, they had more than 800 stores spanning the country.
The store later relocated to Liverpool ONE when the shopping centre opened in 2008. But in October 2021, it was announced that Liverpool ONE's Disney Store was closing its doors for good. Liverpool had a store in Clayton Square, which famously got a visit from Quentin Tarantino that saw fans queue for 12 hours. But by the late noughties, the Virgin Megastore chain went into administration before becoming Zavvi and closing all together.
Many were sad when BHS closed its doors for the final time in 2016. There were around 160 BHS stores nationwide and a suitable buyer was not found for the department store chain after it went into administration.10. Lewis's Lewis's was based on the corner of Renshaw Street and Ranleigh Street - and from 1856 to 2010 it was the flagship store of the Lewis’s empire.
8. George Henry Lee The George Henry Lee department store had been a fixture in Liverpool for over 150-years. Started as a family business, it went on to become one of the most famous and fondly remembered stores in the city. 6. Wade Smith In its wo decades of existence, Wade Smith shaped a distinctive Liverpool style. It was founded by Robert Wade Smith, who spotted a niche in the market while working as a footwear buyer for Topman.
But the group fell into the hands of administrators in 2020 and the physical stores were no more. The failed brands were broken up, with ASOS going on to purchase Topshop, Miss Selfridge and the activewear brand HIIT and Boohoo taking on Burton, Wallis and Dorothy Perkins
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