16 Store Departments That Don’t Exist Anymore
These once-common store sections vanished as shopping habits and technology evolved.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Retail stores used to be filled with specialized departments that made sense for the time — but many have now disappeared completely. Changes in customer needs, technology, and convenience slowly made these sections obsolete. Here are 16 store departments that once thrived but are now just memories of the past.
1. Photo Developing Counter
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Once a must-stop for anyone with a roll of film, these counters handled your precious snapshots. Digital cameras and smartphones made them irrelevant.
2. Video Rental Section
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Big retailers, such as Walmart and grocery stores, had aisles of VHS tapes or DVDs for rent. Streaming killed the need to browse shelves.
3. Record and Cassette Departments
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Before digital downloads, you could flip through rows of vinyl, tapes, and later CDs in department stores. As music went online, these aisles shrank and eventually vanished.
4. Catalog Order Desks
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You’d place your order in person, wait weeks, then pick up the item in-store. It was the precursor to e-commerce. Online shopping made these desks feel ancient.
5. Fur Coats & Luxury Apparel Sections
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Many department stores had upscale fur and high-end fashion departments. Changing tastes and rising ethical concerns led to their quiet removal.
6. Typing and Office Machine Departments
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Once dedicated to selling typewriters, adding machines, and early office gadgets, these sections were standard in large stores. Computers wiped out the need overnight.
7. Record Repair and Electronics Fix Counters
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Needle swaps, TV tube testing, or radio repairs? These services kept your gear going. Now, most electronics are cheaper to replace than fix, so repair counters vanished.
8. Sewing and Fabric Notions Aisle
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It used to be that every department store carried patterns, buttons, zippers, and bolts of fabric. As DIY crafting declined and fast fashion rose, so did the death of this department.
9. Millinery (Hat) Department
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Hats were once a wardrobe essential, and large stores devoted full sections to them. As formal headwear declined in popularity, so did the need for this space. Today, it’s a rare find outside high fashion.
10. Toy Department in Drugstores
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Before big-box stores took over, drugstores had modest toy sections to entertain kids. The rise of dedicated toy retailers pushed these out.
11. Watch & Clock Repair Desks
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Mechanical watch and clock services used to be in-house at many retailers. With smartwatches and disposable timepieces, demand dropped.
12. Radio and Shortwave Sections
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Ham radios, CB units, and shortwave gear had dedicated shelf space. As smartphones and internet communication exploded, interest dwindled.
13. Corset and Girdle Department
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Once essential for structured women’s fashion, these departments offered specialized fittings. As fashion shifted to comfort, they disappeared.
14. Stationery and Letter Writing Supplies
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Letterhead, sealing wax, fountain pens — you could find it all in one aisle. Email and texting made the romance of handwritten letters rare.
15. Candy Counters by the Pound
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Glass cases of chocolates and loose treats were a fixture in old-school department stores. Pre-packaged snacks and health concerns edged them out.
16. Pipe and Tobacco Counters
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Selling pipes, ashtrays, and specialty tobacco blends used to be standard. Smoking bans and health awareness ended that trend. Today, these sections are either gone or restricted to specialty smoke shops.