18 Iconic Aussie Stores That Need To Come Back And Feed My Retail Addiction

As a shopaholic, I personally feel like Aussie malls are going kaput. Back in the day, the shops were an extremely versatile place: you could hang out, go on a date, or blow your paycheck on some new clothes.

One of my fave things about going shopping was the extremely obnoxious displays with eye-catching palettes, cringy fonts and the variety of stores to hang out in. But now, with online shopping becoming more trendy, a lot of stores have gone out of business.

And lately, the vibes in the mall are not what they use to be. Maybe I have just grown up? Or possibly these stores lost the magic touch they used to have.

So without further ado, here are a bunch of Aussie shops that we desperately wish would make a comeback:

1. Video Ezy and Blockbuster

We’re kicking off the list with the most obvious one. One of my most favourite memories is sneaking off to the horror section and staring at the scary images of Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees on the back of the DVD/VHS covers.

2. Diva

The ultimate 2000s one stop shop for your jewellery. They had so many different colours and styles of jewellery. The closest thing we have to Diva is the kids section of Lovisa. Diva remains unmatched and it’s definitely a store I still long for.

3. Kleins

Kleins was another shop dedicated to jewellery for all types of styles. It was all extremely affordable and the shop also has a variety of other accessories including scarves and hats.

4. eQUIP

eQUIP can be described as a ‘grown up version’ of Diva. It had bigger accessories like hats, feathers, and scarves, with their jewellery catering for a slightly more formal event.

5. Groove

Similar to Diva, the store focused on pre-teen accessories and everything colourful!

6. ICE 

If you were clubbing in the 2000s, this is where you would get your outfit. ICE had a lot of what Supré and Glassons have now, with a ’90s/2000s twist. If this store was still open, the Y2K girlies would be eating it up.

7. Borders 

Borders>Dymocks on any day. Borders was basically your 2000s shop for all things, audio, books, and stationary related. Some stores also had a Gloria Jeans attached so you could enjoy your purchases with a Tim Tam Chiller.

8. Disney Shop 

Since we didn’t have a Disneyland, the next best thing was Disney On Ice or the Disney Shop. I fondly remember going into that store and walking out because the merch was so expensive. I also broke a crystal ball that had Belle from Beauty And The Beast in it. Good times.

9. Go-Lo

Who doesn’t love a discount store? Go-Lo was the place to shop for any school project, with extremely similar vibes to Ronni’s Discount Store, The Reject Shop, and/or Daiso.

10. Gasp

Gasp gave you that formal, prom dress kinda vibe but extra overpriced! Low-key need her back because I’m struggling to find dresses for formal events that I would like to try before purchasing.

11. Chic-a-booti

Allegedly, there are still stores around, but Chic-A-Booti was well priced clothing store. It rivalled Valley Girl, Temt, SES, and other clothing boutiques during its time. I’m pretty sure I still have some of their items in my closet.

12. Gloss

One of the best makeup stores to have ever existed. Gloss stocked a variety of brands, but mostly BYS. This was the OG makeup store before Sephora and Mecca jumped on the scene. It was affordable, quick, and the vibe was fun. Also, the girlies that worked at Gloss were super nice, from memory.

13. Bardot

Only recently this store shut its doors around Australia, with only 14 stores now open in New South Wales and Victoria. Bardot was such a cute store and made me feel boujee when I walked in. You can still grab their swag online, but in store is a whole different experience.

14. Pumpkin Patch

Ugh, my mum use to drag me into this store every time we hit Westfield. It was one of her favourite stores and now that I am older and everyone around me is having kids, I wish it was still open because they had the cutest kids clothes that I could’ve bought as gifts. According to the SurfStitch website, you can still buy from this brand.

15. Toys R US

Toys R Us  recently shut down, but it left us with the best memories. I remember spending hours wondering through the aisles and the awesome electronic and arts sections.

16. Crazy Clark’s

Just like GO-LO, another iconic discount store, now gone.

17. Paper Scissors

This clothing store was for all the girlies who loved the knit sweater, berets, and adorable pleated skirts. Loved this store but the prices weren’t for me when it wasn’t sale season.

18. Build-a-Bear

Save the date! Fri 9th – Sun 11th March. Furry friend + clothing item + shoes = $50! In stores only! pic.twitter.com/H3HyqtqhpT

— Build-A-Bear Australia (@BuildABearAU) March 6, 2018

At one point, all the branches I knew of were shut down but now they’re spawning again. Build-A-Bear is a store for all ages who want to personalise their own plushies and I’m guilty of owning about five of these…