Whoever did this, bravo.
As you become increasingly stressed out over holiday shopping, if you look hard enough, you'll likely find something that'll make you smile.
Such was the case this past weekend when my daughter and I were at Target in Mays Landing.
We were going up and down every aisle looking for things to buy when she suddenly stopped and just started hysterically laughing.
Why? Someone stuck googly eyes on the kid near the greeting cards.
That's a pretty big sign and it's not exactly at ground-level. That took a little bit of effort.
But the more we walked around the store, the more googly eyes we found.
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The dog in the pet section was next...
On the other side of the store, it was the guy by the men's hair care stuff...
And it wasn't just big signs.
There was a stack of Minnie Mouse toys that had a picture of a happy girl on the box -- she got the googly eyes, too.
We both got quite a kick out of this harmless little prank and it did take some of the stress out of the day.
If you're responsible for the googly eyes, nicely done.
Holiday Shopping No More: 16 NJ Stores You Can Never Shop at Again
Let's take a walk through a virtual vintage shopping mall that features nothing but stores that can no longer be found in the great Garden State.
YouTube user AllBabyCommercials
Kay Bee (or KB) Toys
Growing up, it seemed like every single mall had a Kay Bee Toy Store in it -- there was something like 1,300 of them across the country. And you would always drag your parents in there and try to leave with something. That is, until 2009 when the chain went bankrupt and, like many other stores, they faded into history.
YouTube user classictvads
Jamesway
I grew up in Williamstown, practically right behind the Jamesway store there -- the amount of money that I spent there as a kid... holy cow. Anyway, at its peak, there were 136 Jamesways across the Northeast. The chain went bankrupt and closed at the end of 1995.
YouTube user the tv madman
Gimbels
I'm not about to attempt to cram the 100-year history of Gimbels into one or two sentences (their Wikipedia page is worth a read), but if you went to the John Wanamaker store in Center City Philadelphia as a kid, you probably went across the street to Gimbels. Gimbels had a small handful of stores in New Jersey (the Echelon and Moorestown Malls, I believe). The chain closed in 1987.
YouTube user gamelovercommercials
Clover
For 25 years, as many as 26 Clover stores dotted South Jersey, Delaware, and Philadelphia -- and just seeing that screenshot makes me think of their jingle: "Christmas at Clover, over and over... Christmas at Clover, over and over..." The last Clover store closed in 1996.
YouTube user Brick Mantooth
Two Guys
Brothers Herbert and Sidney Hubschman formed the Two Guys From Harrison store, which was later shortened to just Two Guys. The chain, which had stores in Pleasantville on the Black Horse Pike and in Turnersville, operated from 1946 to 1982 (hard to believe it's been gone for over 40 years at this point).
Chris Coleman
Kmart
Yes, Kmart still exists (exactly how, no one seems to know) but you won't find any in New Jersey. The last store in the Garden State closed earlier this year. I believe a grand total of two still exist -- the closest one is on Long Island.
YouTube user 513official4
Bradlees
Bradlees was a great store -- the first one opened in March 1958, in Connecticut (fun fact: the chain was named after Bradley International Airport near Hartford) and at its peak, had just over 100 stores in our region. 43 years and 1 day after opening, the last Bradlees closed in 2001 after going through bankruptcy.
YouTube user Chuck D's All-new Classic TV Clubhouse
John Wanamaker
When you think of grand department stores (that we will likely never see the likes of ever again), John Wanamaker's is probably right at the top of your list. If you are my age and from around here, there's a good chance you've seen the giant Christmas light show in their Center City Philadelphia store (which has been Macy's for a number of years).
YouTube user azbats1
Caldor
From its first store in 1951, Caldor grew into a billion-dollar business -- but, as they say, nothing lasts forever -- especially in retail. With nearly 150 stores at its peak in the late 90s, Caldor would not survive to see the year 2000. The last one closed just before summer, 1999.
YouTube user Betamax King
Silo
Founded in Philadelphia in the 1940s by Sidney and Lorraine Cooper, Silo sold a wide array of electronics from stores that seemed to be everywhere in our region. Towards the end, Silo's parent company went bankrupt and they were all gone by 1996.
YouTube user Jim Gallagher
Strawbridge & Clothier
Strawbridge & Clothier, later just Strawbridge's, opened in Philadelphia in 1868. By the 1980s, they had annual sales of over $1 billion, with their last new store being built in New Jersey in 1982. In 2005, the chain was purchased by Macy's, which dropped the name over the years that followed.
YouTube user radioshack catalogs
Radio Shack
Who could forget Radio Shack -- you'd go there to buy batteries and you had to supply them with a complete set of dental records to leave with them (that, of course, is an exaggeration, but they were known for harvesting information from their customers at the register). The chain's history is too complicated to write about here, but almost all of them have closed (you can still find one or two if you look hard enough, but they are no where near as widespread as they used to be).
YouTube user play pause video
Circuit City
Speaking of electronics stores, the roots of Circuit City can be traced back to 1949 when it was Wards Company. Over the years, their footprint grew across the country, but with growing competition from chains like Best Buy, they couldn't keep up (and who could forget those big red cube entrances, like the one at the old Shore Mall). Circuit City faded away shortly after the calendar hit 2009.
YouTube user Montgomery Ward Commercials
Montgomery Ward
You may remember Montgomery Ward stores in New Jersey back in the 80s or 90s (there was one in Turnersville and another in the Marlton area, although I don't recall if they were Montgomery Ward or Jefferson Ward stores). This company had a 129-year history in retail, which ended in 2001.
YouTube user advertiseoncable
Peebles
Peebles was a chain of smaller department stores that focused on clothes and housewares. They first opened in 1891 and eventually had stores scattered in numerous states, including New Jersey. In 2019, it was announced that all Peebles stores were going to be renamed Gordmans, however, just as their new signs went up, the company went down the road of bankruptcy. They all closed in 2020 (the pandemic certainly didn't help things).
YouTube user 80scommercialsforever
Toys R Us
Just looking at their logo, I betcha you are singing, "I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid." Now, Toys R Us has a rather complicated history -- and, yes, you can shop at a Toys R Us in New Jersey right now -- but I'm talking about the chain of big stores.
Opening in 1957, the chain grew to some 800 outlets across the country, but they all closed in 2018 following a bankruptcy. But(!) -- in 2019, two Toys R Us stores reopened -- one in North Jersey and the other in Houston (woohoo!). Then they both closed in 2021 (frowny face). But -- Toys R Us stores have sorta-kinda reopened in many Macy's stores and a real TRU is open at American Dream in the Meadowlands.
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