Millennials get nostalgic about the now-defunct mall stores that shaped their childhoods
"This sounds so weird but I can still SMELL the inside of a Payless store."
Millennials discuss mall culture and mall stores in the 1990s and 2000s.
Going to the mall for millennials (those born from 1981 to 1996) is a core childhood memory. In the 1990s and 2000s, malls were still going strong—and they were an essential part of the millennial experience.
These days, stepping into a mall can be a sad reminder of what shopping used to be like for millennials.
But millennials rallied together on Reddit to discuss the nostalgic mall stores they miss from growing up. From clothing stores to book stores, these mall shops still make millennials sentimental:
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"Payless. I miss affordable shoes. That and they always had my size, which is usually rare since my feet are so big. This sounds so weird but I can still SMELL the inside of a Payless store. I was just reminiscing about it a few days ago, lmao. Cheap fake leather with a hint of cardboard. Memories." - barbiesalopecia, Anilakay
"I miss Borders so much. Depressing how many bookstores from my youth are gone now." - moonprismpwr
"MERVYN'S. iykyk. Non-West Coasters don’t even know the feeling of your mom taking you to Mervyn’s for back to school shopping." - No-Photograph1983, rebelangel
"Gadzooks. Literally came here to post this. My god, I loved this store. That VW Bug with the open trunk and the merch inside? Fu**ing say less. Baggy pants, shirts with aliens on them, neon 70's revival stuff... Like they provided the entire wardrobe for the 'You Get What You Give' music video. Right next to the food court, go in there after hitting up the arcade and dying a million times in House of the Dead." - Forever_Fades
"I miss Toys R Us. Now that I'm a mom, it makes me sad to think my kids will never experience that magic for themselves." - heysunflowerstate
@acooz31 Kiosk alley…nightmare fuel 💀 #millennial #nostalgia #early2000s
"I miss Wet Seal! They had the coolest clothes." - Rare-Leopard1998
"Discovery store in the mall was always my favorite. I feel like I can still smell it lol." - Skerpaderps
"Man, I loved Deb. Got the best clubbing outfits there." - Ngr2054
"I used to love fashion bug. I got my first suits there when I was in law school. Looking back, they were terrible quality and didn’t fit well, but it was all I could afford at the time." - uninvitedthirteenth
"Tower Records." - Due-Sheepherder-218
"Delia's. I used to get SO excited when the newest catalog arrived in the mail!" - pookiebelle, Striking-Donkey8985
@hellomynamesjon The True Life: I’m A Mall Rat #millennials #2000s #nostalgic #90skid #skit #millennialsoftiktok
"In '08? American Apparel." - beeradvice
"DEB and Steve & Barry’s." - Brittibri89
"RUE 21?!?! Helloooooo! Where else are you gonna find a 'going out top' last minute? 💁♀️." - showmenemelda
"RadioShack! Got my PlayStation 1 and 2 from there." - InYourFaceAction1993
"Missing After Thoughts!!! Claire’s bought them out and booted them." - butterflyvision
"Sharper image! We used to go in there and look at all the cool stuff and try the massage chairs as if we were ever going to buy one." - Naive-Ant-8056