We felt very nostalgic during the coronavirus pandemic and one of the old brands from our childhood we thought about was 'Happy Shopper' - the name alone conjures up images of the 1980's.
Emily's first job was at a Happy Shopper in Ipswich and I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was growing up in Oxfordshire back in the 1980's and 1990's.
We didn't think there would be many - or any - of the original orange and yellow branded shops still around, but we were proven wrong when we saw one in Preston in September 2020.
A Happy Shopper shop in Preston
Visiting a fully branded Happy Shopper shop is like stepping back in time
The Happy Shopper branding was changed in the year 2000 and I think it lost a lot of its charm and individuality. Many of the former Happy Shopper shops have since been rebranded as Premier shops.
You could still see the 'newer' Happy Shopper branding on Pleasant News in Wisbech in 2021
The shelves inside the store were still the classic orange and yellow design
Since spotting the old shop in Preston we've been lucky enough to spot and snap a few more.
The Happy Shopper on Page Hall Road in Sheffield in 2020
Here's a list of posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:
The shop unit at Gateway retail park looked to be in great condition and most of the signage and branding was still on display.
This particular branch of Toys R Us was only open for five months before the brand ceased trading in the UK.
Toys R Us closed its UK operation in April 2018.
It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.
My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.
Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:
A look at the Toys R Us store at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich, Norfolk in April 2022.
Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018.
It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.
My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.
The former store in Norwich is now being turned into a Home Bargains.
Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:
A lot of visible signage was still on display at the old store, including a nice sign in the car park. It's always interesting to see the variety of branding employed by Toys R Us over the years.
Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018.
It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.
My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.
Emily recently passed by this store and noticed the signage was still up.
Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:
It's a very nice example of a closed store, with lots of the original signage still visible.
Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018.
It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.
My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.
Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:
Lots of the signage was still visible at the location.
Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018.
It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.
My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.
Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels: