Can You Believe These 4 Stores From the '70s and '80s Still Exist?

Do you remember shopping at stores such as Waldenbooks, Sharper Image^®, and Kinney Shoes in the 1980s? How about Blockbuster^® and Wet Seal?

So many iconic stores from the 1970s and 1980s have gone by the wayside in this increasingly digital era. But do any major retailers from yesteryear still exist?

Here are four big-name stores that are still around, proving they know how to adapt and survive in an ever-shifting retail landscape.

Kmart^®

Sebastian Spearing Kresge opened his first Kmart in 1962 in Garden City, Michigan. A frugal man, he wanted to offer a one-stop shop for American families to purchase everything they needed in one shopping trip, for a reasonable price. He introduced shopping carts, to make the experience more convenient. You may also remember Kmart’s famous “Blue Light Special” - a sale in which a blue light would flash to draw attention to the reduced price and add excitement.

Kmart became extremely popular with the suburban American crowd in the 1970s and 1980s. However, by the 1990s, Walmart and similar competitors began to seriously chip away at Kmart’s business, and the chain spiraled into financial peril, closing many locations.

As of April 2024, only 12 physical Kmart stores still exist - in New York, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The chain also maintains an online presence.

Mervyn’s^™

“Big brands. Small prices.” Mervin Morris’s entire concept for his mid-range department store chain can be summed up in the store’s memorable slogan.

When Morris opened the first Mervyn’s in 1949, he decided to name the store after himself - except he changed the “i” to a “y” to make the name stand out on the storefront marquis.

In its heyday of the 1970s and 1980s, this San Francisco-based chain boasted 229 stores across California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. However, by the 2000s, sales had taken a downward turn, and the chain filed for bankruptcy.

In 2004 the Target^® Corporation jumped at the chance to acquire Mervyn’s. Although all the physical Mervyn’s stores closed by early 2009, the acquisition gave the Mervyn’s brand a new life by re-launching it online in October 2009.

Today Mervyn’s exists online only, featuring closeout and overstocked merchandise from various retailers.

Lord & Taylor^®

In 1862, Samuel Lord and George Washington Taylor launched the first-ever department store in the United States - Lord & Taylor. This iconic emporium offered affordable luxury to its loyal clientele.

This upscale chain became known for its personal styling service, in which mostly middle-class women would meet with a consultant one-on-one to find stylish yet cost-effective dresses - resulting in a loyal following. Even as far back as 1863, Lord & Taylor curated a special section of mourning dresses and accessories for Civil War widows.

After 195 years of enduring pandemics, world wars, depressions and social change, in February 2021 Lord & Taylor closed all remaining physical stores and moved entirely online. In April 2021, the Saadia Group acquired this iconic store and reintroduced it as an “immersive online experience.”

Marshall Field’s

In 1865 Marshall Field opened his first namesake store. Its flagship location on State Street in Chicago was the largest store in the world at one time, boasting enormous book, shoe, toy, and china departments.

Field believed in emphasizing strong customer service in his stores and providing customers with a complete shopping experience - including practically every product and service they could imagine. For example, Field came up with the original idea of offering customers an in-store restaurant, to take a break from their shopping trip.

Although Macy’s^® acquired Marshall Field’s in the mid-2000s, the brand still lives on through its presence in the original flagship store and online.

So, while many nostalgic retailers such as TG&Y, Gadzooks, and CompUSA may have disappeared, a few major department stores have been able to adapt their business models enough to weather the storm in some way - and they’re still happy to take your money.

References: Remembering why we were all obsessed with K-Mart in the 70s and 80s | Number of Kmart stores in the United States | Mervynsonline.com About Us | The Rise and Fall of Mervyn’s | Lord & Taylor About Us | A look back at the long history of Lord & Taylor | Lord & Taylor Locks Its Doors For The Last Time, After 195 Years | Marshall Field’s | Macy’s is closing 150 stores