I almost forgot:

Sam Goody
West Coast Video
Merry-go-round
Spencer's gifts
Krauser's (which in my neck of the woods became the name for all convenience stores)
We also had A&P, Food town is another old super market brand I think is gone

JJ Newberry's

A few years ago I was standing in the store that was the JJ Newberry's in Cooperstown NY, I was just kind of standing in one spot staring off into space thinking about being in that store as a kid. Picturing how the store used to be laid out and where things were. A sales woman came up and asked if I was okay and needed help. I said no, just reminiscing.

Woolworth's at Market St and Powell in San Francisco. I bought magic tricks from their magic counter.

I forget the name. It was a cafeteria in the corner of 5th and Market in San Francisco. My father used to take me there some mornings whenever he took me to his work at the YWCA.

Capwell Emporium stores which I believe Macy's bought.

Gottchalks which was similar to Macy's.

Damn this is like memory lane reading all of this.....

Trak Auto comes to mind as all of my other stores have already been mentioned. That is except for all of the small mom and pop style banks which have long since been gobbled up....

In West Virginia as a kid, I remember a chain (at least three stores that I recall) called Heck's. Sort of a KMart alternative.

Interesting....from Wiki

Heck's Department Store, a chain of West Virginia based discount department stores, was founded by Boone County natives and businessmen Fred Haddad, Tom Ellis, and Lester Ellis and wholesale distributor Douglas Cook in 1959. The Heck's name was a combination of the names Haddad, Ellis and Cook. Haddad served as President, Lester Ellis was Vice-President, and Tom Ellis was Secretary-Treasurer.

Heck's stores were discount, stand alone department stores found in small cities throughout West Virginia, western Maryland, the Ohio Valley, and parts of Indiana & Kentucky. Its structure and product lines were similar to its competitors, Fisher's Big Wheel, Hills Department Stores, G.C. Murphy's Mart, Tempo and Buckeye Mart Stores and Walmart.

Part of Heck's expansion into the Midwest came after acquiring a smaller discounter, T-Way Stores. It also acquired Mr. Wiggs of Indiana and Ohio in 1981.[1]

At its peak in the 1980s, Heck's operated 170 stores throughout West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Maryland and Virginia. Forbes Magazine ranked Heck’s third nationally in profitability and growth in 1980, beating out Kmart.

In 1983, Haddad retired as Heck's president and sold his stock in the company. The Ellis brothers had previously sold out in the 1970s.

Sales fell the following year, and the company saw its first losses in 1984. In 1985, layoffs began, as losses continued.

A number of factors contributed to Heck’s decline. The U.S. economic downturn of the early 1980s hit West Virginia particularly hard, and the store faced increased competition from other chains as well.

In February 1987 a $125 million merger agreement with New York City-Based Toussie-Viner Group was terminated due to weak performance by Heck's in the final months of 1986, and the company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. At the time of the filing, Heck's operated 140 stores.[2]

In 1989 the company emerged from Chapter 11 with 55 stores and under a new name, as Take 10 Discount Club; a membership club costing $10 to join.[3]

In September 1990 all of the assets of the Retail Division were sold to Retail Acquisition Corporation, Inc., and became L.A. Joe Department Stores. Two locations were sold to, and became, Fisher's Big Wheel. One Location was sold to Gabriel Brothers

A 1991 Philadelphia Inquirer article lists several factors for the collapse of Heck’s under the new management, putting the blame on sweeping changes to the stores.

Specifically, the Inquirer cited customer frustration with constant store redesigns and products being dropped from inventory. The store also faced major troubles from costly data errors caused by its new computer accounting system.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
In West Virginia as a kid, I remember a chain (at least three stores that I recall) called Heck's. Sort of a KMart alternative.

My mom worked there for a while when I was a kid in the 70s
Hecks stood for Haddad Ellis and Cook, the three owners
It was a nice chain, much better than current kmarts
One of the bean counter son in laws tok over and bankrupted it in short order

The new gun show in St. Albans is ina former Hecks building, the Ellis family still owns it, and Ian promoting the gun show

Edited: beat me with the wiki
I know one of the original owners son. He is a really promoting the gun shows, and seems to really support the cause

LeBelas
Sandvicks
Warehouse Market
Red Owl
County Seat

Woolco
TG&Y
GEX
GEM
S&H Green Stamp Store-where Grandmommy redeemed her green stamps
Long's Drug (prescriptions, firearms, fishing gear, and booze)
The Texas Store (booze and guns)
Minimax grocery
Gambles Hardware
The Denver Dry Goods
Dave Cook sporting goods (may still exist?)
Gart Brothers (may still exist?)
Hibbard & company
May D&F
Foley's

Woolco

Woolworths

Montgomery Ward

Wharehouse Groceries

Foodland

CompUSA

Circuit City

Blockbuster Video

Hollywood Video

Rose's
Zayre's
TG&Y (5 and dime)
Grants
Blue Boar Cafeteria
Thornberry Toys
Schwinn Stores

Webb's department store Glendale, Ca.

FAO Schwarz

quote:

Originally posted by P-220:

Around Cincy:

...

I will come up with more.

Please add Davis Trains in Milford.

Just outside the great Cincinnati city-state empire, Orr Toy in Piqua OH. Corgi toys!

As a kid I used to ride my bike to a local small shopping center to buy candy. There was a Skillern's drug store, later replaced by Eckerd Drugs. Right next door was a Mott's Five and Dime.

quote:

Originally posted by snoris:
Gibson's discount stores.

There are at least a couple of these still around. One is in Weatherford, TX and the other in Kerrville. Both sell firearms and reloading equipment. In the Fort Worth area, Leonard's Department Store is long gone as well as Striplings and Monnigs.

Brendles

Royal Castle & Birch Beer
Lum's. Hot dogs steamed in beer.
Wolfie's Delicatessen
Farm Stores (First drive through eggs, milk, bread)
Curtis Mathes television

Horn & Hardat, first food service automats.

It was a great treat to eat there, when I was a kid.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
Woolco
TG&Y
GEX
GEM
S&H Green Stamp Store-where Grandmommy redeemed her green stamps
Long's Drug (prescriptions, firearms, fishing gear, and booze)
The Texas Store (booze and guns)
Minimax grocery
Gambles Hardware
The Denver Dry Goods
Dave Cook sporting goods (may still exist?)
Gart Brothers (may still exist?)
Hibbard & company
May D&F
Foley's

Gart Bros sports merged with The Sports Authority in the early 2000's. I believe that their real estate/ski resort branch lives on.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
FAO Schwarz

What??? I can't play chopsticks on a giant piano anymore? Should have crossed off that bucket list item earlier