Littlewoods, pictured here beside Freeman Hardy Willis in June 1970, was founded in Liverpool in 1923. It began life as a football pools company, before expanding into mail-order retail and later making its way onto the high street, with its first store opening in Blackpool in 1937. At its peak it employed around 25,000 people and was reportedly the largest private company in Europe, but its fortunes rapidly declined from the 80s onwards and the original company was wound up in 2005, though you can still buy online from the Littlewoods website.placeholder image
Littlewoods, pictured here beside Freeman Hardy Willis in June 1970, was founded in Liverpool in 1923. It began life as a football pools company, before expanding into mail-order retail and later making its way onto the high street, with its first store opening in Blackpool in 1937. At its peak it employed around 25,000 people and was reportedly the largest private company in Europe, but its fortunes rapidly declined from the 80s onwards and the original company was wound up in 2005, though you can still buy online from the Littlewoods website. | Getty Images

19 of the most popular high street shops of the 60s and 70s we have lost - how many do you remember?

Robert Cumber
By Robert Cumber

Property and retro writer

Published 26th Jul 2025, 11:30 BST

From fashion to food, they were among the biggest high street chains of the 60s and 70s.

Between them, they had many thousands of shops up and down the country at their peak.

But their fortunes declined and they have disappeared from the nation’s high streets, though several are still trading online.

Some of these shops have not been around for years, while others have closed only recently.

How many of these retail giants of the 60s and 70s do you remember shopping at, and is your old favourite among them? Let us know in the comments section.

Safeway arrived in the UK in the 1960s and quickly established itself as one of the nation's biggest supermarket chains. It was bought by Morrisons in 2004, with most of its 479 branches being rebranded, while others were sold.

5. Safeway

Safeway arrived in the UK in the 1960s and quickly established itself as one of the nation's biggest supermarket chains. It was bought by Morrisons in 2004, with most of its 479 branches being rebranded, while others were sold. | Getty Images Photo: Jackson/Central Press

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Fine Fare supermarkets launched in the UK in the 50s and the firm was the biggest supermarket operator in Europe during the 60s. It was a big innovator, launching the UK's first own brand budget range, branded Yellow Pack, in 1980 and becoming the first British supermarket to sell organic food in 1983. The business was sold to Gateway in 1986, with the stores being rebranded. Gateway later became Somerfield, which was subsequently bought by the Co-operative Group.

6. Fine Fare

Fine Fare supermarkets launched in the UK in the 50s and the firm was the biggest supermarket operator in Europe during the 60s. It was a big innovator, launching the UK's first own brand budget range, branded Yellow Pack, in 1980 and becoming the first British supermarket to sell organic food in 1983. The business was sold to Gateway in 1986, with the stores being rebranded. Gateway later became Somerfield, which was subsequently bought by the Co-operative Group. | Getty Images Photo: Stan MeagherDaily Express/Hulton Archive

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Dorothy Perkins was a popular women's budget fashion chain, which began life in 1909 as H. P. Newman, before changing its name in 1919. It had a number of stores across the UK but now trades online only, after becoming part of Boohoo Group (now the Debenhams Group) in 2021.

7. Dorothy Perkins

Dorothy Perkins was a popular women's budget fashion chain, which began life in 1909 as H. P. Newman, before changing its name in 1919. It had a number of stores across the UK but now trades online only, after becoming part of Boohoo Group (now the Debenhams Group) in 2021. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive

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Our Price was one of the UK's biggest music retailers, with more than 300 stores across the UK at its peak. It was founded in 1971 and expanded rapidly, becoming the country's second biggest seller of records and tapes by the 1980s, behind only Woolworths. All of its shops had closed by the end of 2004 but it has since been relaunched as an online retailer.

8. Our Price

Our Price was one of the UK's biggest music retailers, with more than 300 stores across the UK at its peak. It was founded in 1971 and expanded rapidly, becoming the country's second biggest seller of records and tapes by the 1980s, behind only Woolworths. All of its shops had closed by the end of 2004 but it has since been relaunched as an online retailer. | Getty Images Photo: Frank Tewkesbury/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/

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