The KitKat x Blockbuster pop-up in Soho, London

KitKat has created a 'Blockbuster Video' pop-up shop in Soho, London as part of a new promotional campaign.

The pop-up video shop is part of a nostalgia inspired campaign to launch KitKat's new sharing bars.

The video/chocolate shop can be found on Greek Street in Soho, London from Wednesday 9th to Saturday 12th April.

Unfortunately I can't make it down to London to visit, but luckily my friend Sarah Ward was able to swing by today! Sarah joined the queue and sent me these snaps from her visit to the Blockbuster store!

Sarah told me that while there was a fairly long queue and the pop-up was proving popular, the queue did go down quite quickly. As part of the experience visitors receive a KitKat sharing bar along with a code to stream a movie.

Check out the Nestlé website for opening times and more information about the KitKat / Blockbuster pop-up.

Nostalgia and 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.

During the pandemic our interest in lost brands and retail history was piqued and over the last five years we've been to several former Blockbuster Video stores around the UK, as well as finding some other old, and some still open, video shops on our travels.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster Video 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.

The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK in December 2013 and there is now only one Blockbuster Video store in the world - it's in Bend, Oregon, USA!

King Pins opening in Leeds

A new King Pins tenpin bowling & entertainment centre is opening in Leeds later this year.

The new King Pins location at the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds will have Crazy Pool as one of the games on offer when it opens.

The venue will also have tenpin bowling, darts, shuffleboard, ice-free curling and more.

Check out the King Pins website for more information.

KitKat x Blockbuster pop-up in Soho, London

KitKat has created a Blockbuster Video pop-up shop in Soho, London! It's there from today (9th April) until Saturday (12th April).

The pop-up video shop is part of a nostalgia inspired campaign to launch KitKat's new sharing bars.

The shop will be located on Greek Street in Soho, London from Wednesday 9th to Saturday 12th April.

Check out the Nestlé website for more information about the KitKat / Blockbuster pop-up.

From the photos I've seen on social media, the KitKat/Blockbuster 'video shop' looks very cool.

Nostalgia and lost brands

We've 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.

During the pandemic our interest in lost brands and retail history was piqued and over the last five years we've been to several former Blockbuster Video stores around the UK, as well as finding some other old and some still open video shops on our travels.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster Video 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.

The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK in December 2013 and there is now only one Blockbuster Video store in the world - it's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

King Pins opening at the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds

A new King Pins tenpin bowling & entertainment centre is opening in Leeds.

The first two Manchester venues both have mini golf courses, so it'll be interesting to see if the new King Pins location in Leeds will have mini golf on offer when it opens.

Check out the King Pins website for more information.

New Mini Golf course at The Galleries in Wigan

A new indoor Mini Golf course is being created at The Galleries in Wigan, Greater Manchester.

The new indoor Mini Golf course is part of a development of the former Galleries shopping centre in Wigan town centre.

Find out more about The Galleries redevelopment on the Wigan Council and The Galleries websites

It'll be a new and fairly local course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton - May 2021

The old sign at the former Blockbuster Video store on Regent Street in Nuneaton was uncovered when a tenant of the building moved out. This is how the store looked on the 2nd May 2021.

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

Kebab Near Me in Bridgehall, Stockport

What a name for a takeaway!

We spotted the new Kebab Near Me takeaway in Bridgehall, Stockport over Christmas.

Bravo to the team at Kebab Near Me in Bridgehall, Stockport for selecting the name for the takeaway.

This is one way to be found!

Check out the Kebab Near Me website.

Blockbuster Video Express in Billingham Town Centre - April 2021

A visit to the old Blockbuster Video Express store in Billingham town centre, Teesside.

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

Morrisan Supermarket in Manchester

There's something familiar about this shop's name and sign...

Morrisan Supermarket in Manchester

Morrisan Supermarket in Manchester

Video rental shops in the UK (January 2025)

A look at movie rental shops in the UK.

By my reckoning there are five 'video shops' still in operation offering physical media movie rentals in the UK. They are:

• 20th Century Flicks in Bristol
• TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill, Suffolk
• Snips Movies in Bebington, Wirral
• VideOdyssey in Toxteth, Liverpool
• Northgate Video & DVD in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Unfortunately B.V.C. - Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever, Bolton closed in July 2024. We visited that particular video shop on Video Shop Day back in 2020!

It's brilliant to see there are still businesses active in the movie rental sector though!

Signs and traces of video shops

There are still traces of former video shops to be found on the streets, shopping centres and retail parks of the UK. Most of those are old Blockbuster Video stores. But there are still signs of independent video shops to be seen if you're lucky (and actually visit and rent from if you're really lucky!). Some of those we've snapped over the years include:

• Shahenshah Videos in Luton
• Deane Video Centre in Bolton
• Video Box Office at the Happy Shopper Wayfairer Discount Store in Ilkeston
• Video Future in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
• The Movie Box in Manchester
• Jubilee Films in Ashton-under-Lyne
• B.V.C. - Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever, Bolton (closed down in 2024)
• 20th Century Flicks in Bristol (still operating, but closed on the day of our visit)
• Video Express in Swansea
• Video Rentals at The Village Top Shop in Thorpe Hesley, Rotherham
• Northgate Video & DVD in Bury St Edmunds (still operating, but closed on the day of our visit)
• TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill (still operating)

Blockbuster Video shops

Former Blockbuster Video store locations we've visited to date include:

• 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

Do you still have a video rental store near you? Please let us know in the comments if you do!

Treetop Golf at Cabot Circus in Bristol

The new Treetop Adventure Golf venue is opening at Cabot Circus in Bristol today, Tuesday 17th December 2024.

The venue is home to two 18-hole indoor adventure golf courses.

You can find other Treetop Adventure Golf courses in Cardiff, Manchester, Leicester, Birmingham and Gateshead.

Visit the Treetop Adventure Golf website for more information.

Happy Shopper shops - Sheffield (closed)

There are still a few Happy Shopper shops around England and Wales.

Here's a look at the Happy Shopper in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

Check out this blog post looking back at our visits to Happy Shopper shops since 2020.

View my YouTube Playlist of Happy Shopper shop videos.

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.

Video rental shops in the UK (December 2024)

A look at movie rental shops in the UK.

By my reckoning there are four 'video shops' still in operation offering physical media movie rentals in the UK. They are:

• 20th Century Flicks in Bristol
• TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill, Suffolk
• Snips Movies in Bebington, Wirral
• Northgate Video & DVD in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Unfortunately B.V.C. - Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever, Bolton closed in July this year. We visited that particular video shop on Video Shop Day in 2020!

It's brilliant to see there are still businesses active in the sector though!

Signs and traces of video shops

There are still traces of former video shops to be found on the streets, shopping centres and retail parks of the UK. Most of those are old Blockbuster Video stores. But there are still signs of independent video shops to be seen if you're lucky (and actually visit and rent from if you're really lucky!). Some of those I've snapped over the years include:

• Shahenshah Videos in Luton
• Deane Video Centre in Bolton
• Video Box Office at the Happy Shopper Wayfairer Discount Store in Ilkeston
• Video Future in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
• The Movie Box in Manchester
• Jubilee Films in Ashton-under-Lyne
• B.V.C. - Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever, Bolton (closed in 2024)
• 20th Century Flicks in Bristol (still operating, but closed on the day of our visit)
• Video Express in Swansea
• Video Rentals at The Village Top Shop in Thorpe Hesley, Rotherham
• Northgate Video & DVD in Bury St Edmunds (still operating, but closed on the day of our visit)
• TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill (still operating)

Blockbuster Video shops

Blockbuster Video stores we've visited to date include:

• 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

Do you still have a video rental store near you? Please let me know in the comments if you do!

Happy Shopper shops - Ashwellthorpe

There are still a few Happy Shopper shops around England and Wales.

Here's a look at the Happy Shopper in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk.

Check out this blog post looking back at our visits to Happy Shopper shops since 2020.

View my YouTube Playlist of Happy Shopper shop videos.

Crazy Golf at Yum Yum World in Rugby

The Yum Yum Crazy Golf course at Bounce World in Rugby, Warwickshire is no longer open.

You used to be able to get a hole-in-one at Bounce World in Rugby

We visited the course location on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour last year.

There was no sign of the course this time

The building it was in used to be home to a Woolworths. You can see still see the Woolies ghost sign there.

Toys R Us inside WH Smith in Salisbury

There's a Toys R Us at WH Smith in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Toys R Us at WH Smith in Salisbury

Emily spotted this new Toys R Us store at WH Smith in Salisbury on a recent trip to the city.

Toys R Us inside WH Smith in Salisbury

It was a nice to see these framed pictures showing the evolution of the brand's mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe over the years inside the shop.

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.

There are currently 76 Toys R Us concessions in WH Smith shops (up from 39 in September this year), with more planned to open. Visit the Toys R Us website for more information.

Working at Toys R Us

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.

Toys R Us concessions in the USA

Emily saw a Toys R Us at a Macy's department store in Fort Worth, Texas and a sign for one at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on a trip to the USA earlier this year.

The old Toys R Us

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 several of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

Former Toys R Us locations we've been to 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
• Trafford Centre in Manchester
• 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 those 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.

A DVD rental shop in 2024: T.V.L. Allstar Video in Haverhill

Finding a DVD movie rental shop in Haverhill, Suffolk.

It was amazing to find out about TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill and brilliant to hear that in 2024 they've been celebrating their 40th year in business.

While they no longer rent out VHS tapes they hold a library of around 8,000 titles on DVD and Blu-ray, with new releases added to the collection on a weekly basis.

We've spent the last few years documenting the last traces of Blockbuster Video stores here in the UK, and we've found some other video shop signage on our travels. It's even better when we find a video shop that is still open for business!

Signs for the movie rental membership, and some of the other services provided at the shop

If you don't know what to rent, the team at TVL Allstar Video will be able to guide you to some of the top picks. Chatting with the owner and his colleague at the shop they told me how they've maintained a regular customer base over the years. This was evident in my short visit as there were several people through the door, it was excellent to see

There aren't many things better than holding an actual video shop rental membership card in your hands in 2024 - it's a link to another time!

A view of a small section of the rentals available at the shop

New releases are regularly added to the collection at TVL Allstar Video

I would've rented Beetlejuice Beetlejuice if I lived close enough to borrow and return it in time

Lovely to see rental stickers in the wild

A familiar sight back in the day

As well as film rentals, the shop has diversified over the years and now offers scratched disc repairs, a print shop, stationery, and UPS Parcels services.

Check out the TVL Allstar Video website for more information.

TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill is one of only a handful of video rental shops still operating in the UK. Long may it continue!