To say Portland has changed a lot in the last decade is an understatement. But in the last 30 years the city has transformed even more pronouncedly, leaving just memories of what it once was like. If you grew up here, these 8 stores will definitely remind you of home.
1. Meier & Frank
Founded in Portland, Meier and Frank operated over a century from 1857 to 2007 and was a Portland institution. The chain was bought by May Department Stores in 2001. In 2005, it was bought by Macy's and rebranded as such in 2006.
2. Fred Meyer
Another homegrown favorite, it is hard to not bump into a Freddy's around town. Founded in 1922, the one-stop shopping chain merged with Kroger's in 1998, but still operates under its original name. With stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, and the western region of the Kroger Corporation located in Portland, Fred Meyer's will hopefully continue in business for a long time.
3. Coffee People
Founded in 1983, at its height this Portland coffee chain operated over 40 stores and was a mainstay throughout the city long before Stumptown. The last of the shops shuttered their doors in 2007, but the good news is you can still get the same great coffee at Jim and Patty's Coffee People's three locations.
4. Ozone Records
Once a premier independent music store with a great location (across from Powell's in the current Buffalo Exchange shop), this was the place to get vinyl, CDs and magazines until it met its end in 2007.
5. Djangos
Around the corner from Ozone, Djangos was another great Portland music shop that fell by the wayside after changing hands in the late 90s. Known as the first all-used record shop in the city, it closed in the early 2000s after a nearly 30 year run.
6. Lloyd Center
If you grew up in Portland, you will remember the Lloyd Center differently than its current state. From its opening in 1960 to 1988, it was an open-air mall. When the trend went to indoor malls in the late 80s, Lloyd Center renovated and became completely enclosed by 1991.
7. J.J. Newberrys
While J.J. Newberry's was not a homegrown store, it was a mainstay in Portland until 2001, when the Pennsylvania chain went out of business.
8. GI Joe's
This sporting goods chain operated from 1952 until 2007 under the name GI Joe's and then briefly as just Joe's before it filed for bankruptcy in 2009. In it's heyday it operated over 30 stores from its Wilsonville headquarters.
Did we miss a favorite store that reminds you of childhood? Let us know in the comments below.
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