Happy Shopper shops on '1980s Food: Everything We Loved & Lost' on Channel 5

Happy Shopper shops on the Channel 5 programme '1980s Food: Everything We Loved & Lost'.

A Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire (2020)

It was brilliant to be able to contribute to the Channel 5 documentary '1980s Food: Everything We Loved & Lost' and help to tell the story of Happy Shopper shops.

A sign at the Pleasant News Happy Shopper in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire (2021)

The programme was broadcast on Channel 5 today and was an edit of '1980s Food: The Ones We Loved & Lost' shown last year. These programmes followed 'The 1980s Supermarket', which included a feature on Happy Shopper shops in episode 3 when it was first broadcast in 2024.

Visiting a fully branded Happy Shopper shop is like stepping back in time

One of the  brands I remember clearly from growing up in the 1980s and 1990s was Happy Shopper. The colourful sign with the happy chappy face is a lovely throwback. Happy Shopper received a rebrand in 2000, but if you are lucky you can still find the original branding and signage on some shops.

The Happy Shopper shop on Chaucer Road in Sittingbourne, Kent (2022)

You can the watch the programmes via the Channel 5 website:

• 1980s Food: The Ones We Loved & Lost
• The 1980s Supermarket

A ghost sign at the old Happy Shopper shop in Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk (2020)

Check out my Happy Shopper shops playlist on YouTube.

Sunny Hunny Londis

A look at the Londis shop in Hunstanton, Norfolk.

Londis was created in 1959 and there are over 2,400 Londis shops in the UK. The brand name of Londis came from the words 'London District Stores'.

The Sunny Hunny Londis is still sporting some of the older branding.

Toys R Us at Macy's in Chicago, USA

A look at a Toys R Us at a Macy's department store in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Emily visited this Toys R Us within a Macy's in Chicago earlier this year.

Emily first visited the store in August 2024.

It's one of over 450 Toys R Us stores you can find within Macy's in the USA.

Find out more.

Visit the Toys R Us at Macy's 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.

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.

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith in the UK.

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with an online presence and in 2023 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops.

The relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some travel hub WHSmith stores, as well being inside some of the rebranded TGJones shops.

There are currently over 90 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

7-Eleven in Thailand

A look at two (of the many many many) 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand.

My brother Christopher and his family had a summer holiday in Thailand this summer. As 7-Eleven convenience stores can be found across the country they popped into quite a few. Here's a couple of snaps of two of the 7-Eleven shops in Khao Lak.

There are more than 13,000 7-Eleven shops in Thailand!

Emily has also been to some 7-Elevens this year too, and spotted this closed 'gold' 7-Eleven in Chicago, USA earlier this year.

The closest I've been to a 7-Eleven in 2025 is the 8-Twelve in Nottingham last month!

Find out more.

Visit the 7-Eleven Thailand website for more information.

Related blog posts:

• 7-Eleven 

A 7-Eleven in Chicago

A look at a gold signed, but closed down, 7-Eleven in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

The closed 7-Eleven at the Heyworth Building on East Madison Street in Chicago

This 7-Eleven had a fancy looking gold sign