In 2025, over half of the 70s will be over 50 years old. Doesn’t time fly? One second, you’re in the ‘70s, surrounded by all these iconic stores you think will be there forever. The next moment, all these stores are gone, replaced by new, shinier ones. Father Time is cruel like that. We’re here today to look at nostalgic chain stores that used to be prominent in the ’70s but have since closed shop or have limited locations.
#1: Me and My A&P
A&P, which is short for The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, was founded all the way back in 1859, and kids today don’t realize how huge it was. By 1930, the grocery store had over 15,000 locations, which was incredible for the time. However, A&P experienced a slow decline starting in the ‘50s.
While you probably have nostalgic memories of A&P, these stores were considered dated in the ‘70s, as bigger competitors took over and the stores were considered dated. However, A&P did hold on until 2015, when they finally liquidated the remaining 296 stores they had.