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.

The art retailer, founded in 1964, is perhaps best known for its cheeky 70s poster 'Tennis Girl'. It had shops around the UK during its heyday, selling art prints, cards and stationery, but now operates online only.

17. Athena

The art retailer, founded in 1964, is perhaps best known for its cheeky 70s poster 'Tennis Girl'. It had shops around the UK during its heyday, selling art prints, cards and stationery, but now operates online only. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard

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Radio Rentals was founded in 1930 in Brighton and, as the name suggests, intially rented out radio sets before expanding to offer TVs and video recorders. At its peak, it reportedly had more than 500 shops and two million customers.

18. A Radio Rentals shop, UK, 5th October 1976. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)

Radio Rentals was founded in 1930 in Brighton and, as the name suggests, intially rented out radio sets before expanding to offer TVs and video recorders. At its peak, it reportedly had more than 500 shops and two million customers. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive

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The sjoe seller Dolcis began life in Woolwich, London, in 1863, and by the mid-1950s had some 250 stores around the UK. It went into administration in 2008 but still operates online today.

19. Dolcis

The sjoe seller Dolcis began life in Woolwich, London, in 1863, and by the mid-1950s had some 250 stores around the UK. It went into administration in 2008 but still operates online today. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive

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