The demise of Blockbuster Video in the UK

The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK on this day in 2013.

Blockbuster Video entered the UK video rental market in 1989 following the purchase of Ritz Video.

In 2013 there were over 500 Blockbuster locations in the UK. Throughout that year the number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. On the 16th December 2013 all stores ceased operations.

It's amazing that there are still clearly visible remnants of the brand on the high street and on retail parks eleven years later.

If you're lucky, and know where to look, you might find a QuikDrop box hiding in plain sight

The first Blockbuster Video store had opened in Dallas, Texas, USA on the 19th October 1985.

The very last Blockbuster Video store in operation is in Bend, Oregon, USA.

Until January this year there was an abandoned Blockbuster Video store near us here in Manchester. It was always an eerie, interesting and nostalgic thing to drive past the old shop at Fallowfield Retail Park.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester

The sign about the closure was still visible on the window there before it was demolished.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster stores around the world. 500+ of which were in England, Scotland and Wales. Interestingly in Northern Ireland the Xtra-Vision brand was used by the owners in-line with the Republic of Ireland.

Blockbuster certainly wasn't the first video rental shop brand, but it was at one time the market leader.

Blockbuster Video store locations we've visited on our travels

Our interest in lost brands and retail history has taken us to several former Blockbuster stores:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Colne, Lancashire
• Failsworth, Manchester
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Lost brands

Emily and I have spent the last few years reminiscing about 'the good old days'. One of our areas of interest is in old retail brands - we're both marketers by profession and two of my first jobs in the 1990's and the year 2000 were at Tandy and Toys R Us, while Emily's first job was at a Happy Shopper shop. It's been fascinating to find remnants of these brands - and a number of other lost, dead and defunct brands - on the high street and at retail parks around the UK.

The abandoned minigolf course on Bournemouth's Exeter Road

A look at the derelict minigolf course on Exeter Road in Bournemouth.

Back in June 2009 we found a derelict minigolf course in Bournemouth and when we revisited in July 2013 it was still there. On Emily's recent trip to the seaside town she found it was still in place.

The former 18-hole course is on Exeter Road and next to the cafe/restaurant.

The course is very similar in design to the busy course that can be found over the road in the Lower Gardens and the championship course in the Boscombe Chine Gardens, though in an entirely unplayable state.

Lost Shops - Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton, Warwickshire (May 2021)

Taking a look at the former Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

In 2021 the old sign at the former Blockbuster Video store on Regent Street in Nuneaton was uncovered when the tenant of the building moved out.

It was brilliant to see such a well maintained piece of signage - it looked like the store could've re-opened that day!

Blockbuster Video in the UK

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 stores around the world. 500-plus of those were in the UK.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The last stores closed on the 16th December.

There are still some visible remnants of the brand on the high street and on retail parks. And we've been to most of them on our travels!

Check out the posts about former Blockbuster Video stores we've been to in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Colne, Lancashire
• Failsworth, Manchester
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Lost brands

Emily and I have spent the last few years reminiscing about 'the good old days'. One of our areas of interest is in old retail brands - we're both marketers by profession and two of my first jobs in the 1990's and the year 2000 were at Tandy and Toys R Us, while Emily's first job was at a Happy Shopper shop. It's been fascinating to find remnants of these brands - and a number of other lost, dead and defunct brands - on the high street and at retail parks around the UK.

Crazy Golf at Higher Bebington Park

The Crazy Golf course at Higher Bebington Park in Birkenhead on the Wirral peninsula is being renovated.

Crazy Golf at Higher Bebington Park

The team at Love Bebington have started the refurbishment of the abandoned Crazy Golf course at Higher Bebington Park in Birkenhead.

We visited the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in July 2017.

Hole 3

The 15-hole course is a unique layout and we thought it looked like it'd be very interesting to play.

Hole 4 is a long one

Half way up hole 4

The green of hole 4

The course became the 747th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Hole 5 - a dogleg

Good luck to the Love Bebington team with their efforts on the Crazy Golf course at Higher Bebington Park.

It'll be nice to revisit the course and actually have a game there in the future.

Check out the Love Bebington pages on Facebook and Instagram to follow the progress of the course refurb.

Videos of the course in 2017:
- Crazy Golf at Higher Bebington Recreation Ground 1
- Crazy Golf at Higher Bebington Recreation Ground 2
- Crazy Golf at Higher Bebington Recreation Ground 3
- Crazy Golf at Higher Bebington Recreation Ground 4

Closed Crazy Golf at Forfar Loch Country Park

The old Crazy Golf course at Forfar Loch Country Park in Forfar, Angus, Scotland is being removed.

The course has been unused for several years.

It's always a shame to hear about minigolf courses closing.

The Crazy Golf course at Forfar Loch Country Park was on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour 'To Visit' list and it looks like this will soon become a lost course.

Abandoned Minigolf course in San Antonio, Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote, Spain

A look at the abandoned minigolf course in San Antonio, Puerto Del Carmen.

Here's a look at the old minigolf course in San Antonio. It's a course Emily went to while on a holiday to Lanzarote back in May 2022.

The course was the 989th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list for more information and links to courses we've visited since 2006.

Abandoned Minigolf course at Calle Las Acacias in Teguise, Lanzarote, Spain

A look at the abandoned minigolf course at Calle Las Acacias in Teguise, Lanzarote.

Here's a look at the abandoned minigolf course at Calle Las Acacias in Teguise. It's a course Emily went to while on a holiday to Lanzarote back in May 2022.

The course was the 991st visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list for more information and links to courses we've visited since 2006.

Abandoned Mini Golf Aquarium course in Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote, Spain

A visit to the abandoned Mini Golf Aquarium course in Puerto Del Carmen.

Here's a look at the abandoned Mini Golf Aquarium course in Puerto Del Carmen. It's a course Emily went to while on a holiday to Lanzarote back in May 2022.

The course was the 990th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list for more information and links to courses we've visited since 2006.

Toys R Us at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

A look at the site of the former Toys R Us store at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich, Norfolk in June 2024.

The location of the former Toys R Us store at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

While the last of the original Toys R Us stores in the UK closed on the 24th April 2018 the brand returned to the UK in 2022 with an online presence, and further expanded in 2023 with the opening of nine concessions inside WH Smith.

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

We first visited the old Norwich Toys R Us store in August 2021, and returned in April 2022. On our visit last month the site was part way through being turned into a new Home Bargains store.

The location of the former Toys R Us store at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

The location of the former Toys R Us store at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

The location of the former Toys R Us store at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

The location of the former Toys R Us store at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

The location of the former Toys R Us store at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gateway retail park in Reading
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Lost Toys R Us Stores

My book about Lost Toys R Us Stores is available to buy from Amazon.

There were once 105 Toys R Us stores in the UK. The business ceased trading in 2018 and all of the shops closed.

It is still possible to find traces of the brand on some retail parks and shopping centres around the UK.

The book takes a look at some of those old stores between 2019 and 2021.

Buy Lost Toys R Us Stores on Amazon.

The end of Toys R Us in the UK

The last Toys R Us stores in the UK closed on the 24th April 2018.

Toys R Us on the Western Esplanade in Southampton

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

A sign at Toys R Us at St James Retail Park in Northampton

A sign at Toys R Us in Reading

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

Toys R Us at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

Toys R Us at Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees

Toys R Us at The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes

A sign at Toys R Us at Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gateway retail park in Reading
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Toys R Us at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

A new beginning...

Toys R Us did return to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops.

This was the sign at the Toys R Us shop unit at Gateway retail park in Reading, Berkshire in September 2022. It looked to be in great condition and most of the signage and branding was still on display

Lost Toys R Us Stores

My book about Lost Toys R Us Stores is available to buy from Amazon.

There were once 105 Toys R Us stores in the UK. The business ceased trading in 2018 and all of the shops closed.

It is still possible to find traces of the brand on some retail parks and shopping centres around the UK.

The book takes a look at some of those old stores between 2019 and 2021.

Buy Lost Toys R Us Stores on Amazon.

Toys R Us at Gateway Retail Park in Reading

Spotting an abandoned Toys R Us store in Reading, Berkshire.

We were surprised to see an old Toys R Us store while driving through Reading back in September 2022.

The shop unit at Gateway retail park looked to be in great condition and most of the signage and branding was still on display.

This particular branch of Toys R Us was only open for five months before the brand ceased trading in the UK.

Toys R Us closed its UK operation in April 2018.

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gateway retail park in Reading
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby