Entertainment
This American video rental store chain was the largest direct competitor to Blockbuster Video.
Hollywood Video
This company had its New York flagship store close in 2015.
FAO Schwarz
The retailer was known for West Coast-inspired fast fashion, especially for teenagers. You may have seen this store in malls. It abruptly closed all stores in 2017.
Wet Seal
This was a chain of discount department stores that operated from 1956-1990. The stores sold clothing, housewares, toys, and more.
Hint: Debbie worked there as a cashier.
Zayre
This was a retail company and one of the pioneers of the five-and-dime store. It set trends and created the modern retail model that stores follow worldwide today.
Woolworth's
This store was the second largest U.S. electronics retailer, after Best Buy
Circuit City
An American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids and various others. Its first store was built in 1948. Hint: A lot of the empty stores have been used by "Spirit" during Halloween season.
This retailer supplied a selection of discounted footwear and accessories for kids and adults.
Payless
This was a department store chain that operated in the US from 1923-2020. The store was known for its high-end designer clothing. The original store was located in Manhattan.
Hint: Think of a purple dinosaur from the 1990s.
Barneys
This store has returned as an online retailer after bankruptcy. They sell home goods, including bedding, bath items, kitchenware and furniture.
Bed Bath & Beyond
This was a book and stationery retailer that was founded in the United States in 1971 by brothers Tom and Louis Borders, who opened their first bookshop in Ann Arbor, MI.
Borders
This was an educational toy store in the 1980s. Stores started closing in the 1990s, and by 2003, its parent company, Toys R Us, had closed them all.
Imaginarium
This chain specialized in college-related clothing and private-label casual clothing. Amanda Bynes debuted a clothing line at this chain in 2007.
Steve & Barry's
This was a discount department store chain, founded in 1957 in Youngstown, OH
Hills
This music venue was a 3,200 seat performance space in Highland Heights, Ohio. The stage rotated during each performance. Many musicians and comedians performed there including the Jackson 5, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin.
The Front Row
This store was founded in 1985 as a single home video rental shop, but later became a public store chain featuring video game rentals, DVD-by-mail, streaming, video on demand, and cinema theater.
Blockbuster
This store was a United States retail store chain that sold educational toys and multi-media products aimed at children ages 0-13
Zany Brainy
This was a women's clothing store chain that sold plus-size, misses', and junior-sized clothing and accessories. The final stores closed in 2013.
Fashion Bug
This was a department store chain that sold clothing, housewares and more. The first store opened in Cleveland, OH in 1860. The store was a major part of downtown Cleveland and a popular destination for holiday shopping.
Higbee's
This amusement park was located in Aurora, OH and had a roller coaster named The Raging Wolf Bobs.
Geauga Lake
This record store chain sold music, videos, and video games. The chain filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and closed most of its stores.
Sam Goody
This was an American chain of mall-based retail toy stores. The company was founded in 1922.
KB Toys
This started out as a mail-order company, and then opened bricks-and-mortar stores starting in 1999. It was popular for teen girls in the 90s because of its sassy catalog.
Delia's
A department store that dominated Cleveland retailing until the 1960s. It was later replaced by Kaufmann's.
May Company
This chain of entertainment facilities featured games and elaborate indoor mazes designed for young children. A talking robot character named Z-Bop served as mascot to the chain.
Discovery Zone aka DZ