There were still lots of individual shops, but supermarkets were a new thing. The Presto you pictured started itlife in the main High Street. Also in the High Street were M & S food hall, Sainsbury's and Tesco. There were also Kwiksave and Linbar out of town and Fine Fare at PE Way.
Safeway, Netto, Fine Fare, Somerfield, Presto, Pricefighter and Pricekene are just some of the lost supermarkets of the 80s and 90s pictured in this retro photo gallery - with not a Lidl or an Aldi in sight.
They really were the golden days of the high street. Fine Fare, Victor Value, Anthony Jackson's, Budgens, Cullens, Prideaux, Co-Op, Safeway, Liptons, Home & Colonial, Maypole, David Greig, Netto, Waitrose, etc.
80s mall with Bambergers, Michelfelders, Farrell's, Sam Goody, Spencer Gifts, KayBee Toys, The Gap, and Banana Republic with the safari store fixtures.
The 1980s saw the rise of major retail chains like Sam's Club, BJ's Wholesale Club, Staples, Office Depot, and OfficeMax, alongside growing popularity for stores like Blockbuster, Circuit City, KB Toys, Radio Shack, Borders, and mall staples such as Waldenbooks and Sam Goody, while brands like Ross Stores, J. Crew, and Guess emerged, shaping the landscape for electronics, office supplies, apparel, and entertainment retail.
The decade began with supermarket titans Kroger, Safeway, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, and Albertsons competing heavily for food dollars. The re-emergence of superstores, featuring general merchandise and groceries under one roof, made retailers pick which side of the coin they were going to compete on.
The 1980's mail order Catalogue... There was a fine selection to browse Littlewoods, Freemans, Grattan, Argos & Great universal to name a few.. The things you could buy & pay up for the rest of your life..
Popular UK stores in the 1970s included department stores like Woolworths, C&A, and Lewis's, alongside fashion chains such as Chelsea Girl, offering affordable clothing, while dedicated fashion labels like Laura Ashley thrived with their distinct floral styles, and general retailers like J. Lyons for food and sweets. The era also saw big names like Littlewoods, Allders, and Freeman, Hardy and Willis (shoes), alongside record shops and specialized DIY stores.
In the summer of 1999, the Mexia Supermarket in Fort Worth Texas was abandoned with all the food inside. It rotted for a whole month before people in hazmat suits cleaned it up. Footage of the cleanup exists, but is mostly lost.
Morrisons wasn't always Morrisons; many of its larger stores were formerly Safeway supermarkets, which Morrisons acquired in 2004, rebranding the stores by 2005, while older sites might have been Fine Fare or Food Giant. The company itself started as a market stall in Bradford by William Morrison in 1899, growing into Wm Morrison (Provisions) Limited and then Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC.
The food retail market has been dominated by the 'big four' supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons – which made up more than three quarters of sector market share in 2010. Tesco is the largest retailer in Great Britain, with a market share of 28.5% at the start of 2025.
If you've ever wondered, “What was popular in the 80s?” then know that neon colors, big hair, the Brat-Pack, iconic toys and games like Nintendo and Transformers, as well as Madonna, Duran Duran, and MTV videos helped define the decade.
Old school hooligan brands, part of the UK's 80s Casuals subculture, centered on high-end sportswear and designer labels like Stone Island, Lacoste, Fila, Sergio Tacchini, Adidas, Ellesse, Pringle, Burberry, and CP Company, used for both style and to blend in while attending football matches. These brands offered expensive, noticeable clothing like tracksuits, polos, and knitwear that became synonymous with terrace fashion.
Collecting Care Bears was a favorite pastime for many children in the 80s. With a variety of bears to choose from, each with its unique color and badge, kids enjoyed trading and sharing stories about their favorite characters, making lasting memories.
Safeway, Netto, Fine Fare, Somerfield, Presto, Pricefighter and Pricekene are just some of the lost supermarkets of the 80s and 90s pictured in this retro photo gallery - with not a Lidl or an Aldi in sight.
The 5-4-3-2-1 grocery method is a viral TikTok trend for balanced, easy meal planning, guiding you to buy 5 vegetables, 4 fruits, 3 proteins, 2 grains/carbs, and 1 fun treat (or 2 sauces/spreads + 1 treat) for the week, simplifying shopping by focusing on food groups rather than specific recipes, allowing for flexibility while ensuring a variety of nutrients.
The British Safeway was founded in 1962 by the American Safeway Inc., before being sold to Argyll Foods in 1987. It was purchased by Morrisons in March 2004. Most of its 479 shops were rebranded as Morrisons, with others being sold. Safeway-branded shops disappeared from the United Kingdom on 24 November 2005.
