20 Grocery Store Aisles That Just Don’t Exist Anymore
Take a nostalgic trip down the grocery store aisles that have disappeared from modern supermarkets.
- Chris Graciano
- 4 min read
Supermarkets used to be filled with quirky, specialized, or once-popular aisles that reflected the times. From VHS rental corners to bulk candy bins, many sections have slowly faded into retail history. Let’s revisit 20 grocery store aisles that were once staples but are now relics of a bygone shopping era.
1. VHS Rental Aisle
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Remember browsing movie boxes while your parents grabbed milk? Many grocery chains had a section for weekly movie rentals. With the rise of streaming, these corners vanished almost overnight.
2. Bulk Candy Section
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Scooping gummy worms into little plastic bags was a childhood thrill. These bins were once a colorful mainstay near checkout.
3. Canned Bread Aisle
Tobosha on Wikimedia Commons
Yes, bread in a can used to have its own little shelf space. It was a quirky New England staple, ideal for camping or emergencies.
4. Cigarette Displays
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Cigarettes were once displayed openly, often behind the register or even in their own aisle. Over time, health regulations pushed them out of view or out of stores entirely.
5. Film Developing Counter
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Drop off your roll and come back in an hour—developing film at the grocery store was a common errand. However, these kiosks faded with the rise of smartphones and digital photography.
6. Greeting Card & Gift Wrap Lane
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These aisles used to be huge—rows of glittery cards, ribbons, and gift bags for every occasion. While they still exist in some stores, many have shrunk or disappeared altogether.
7. In-Store Deli Cafeteria
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You could grab a tray and eat a hot lunch right inside the store, like rotisserie chicken, mac and cheese, and meatloaf. These mini-cafeterias have largely been replaced by grab-and-go coolers.
8. Live Lobster Tanks
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Kids used to crowd around these bubbling tanks, pointing at the “sea monsters.” Lobsters were once a luxury item proudly displayed. With fewer buyers and rising ethical concerns, many chains pulled the tanks.
9. Frozen Juice Concentrate Section
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Tiny cardboard tubes of orange or apple juice filled freezer cases. Just add water, stir, and chill. As ready-to-drink juices became affordable, concentrates lost their market.
10. International Foods by Country
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Stores once had dedicated sections for “Italian,” “Mexican,” or “Asian” foods with flags and all. These have since been merged into more generalized “ethnic” aisles—if they exist at all.
11. Home Video Game Rentals
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Long before GameStop or downloads, you could rent video games next to your TV dinners. NES, Sega, and later PlayStation titles lined grocery shelves.
12. Magazine & Tabloid Section
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Weekly celebrity gossip, cooking tips, and puzzle books once filled racks near the checkout. Now, smartphones have replaced that browsing habit.
13. Household Electronics Corner
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You could buy toasters, alarm clocks, or even landline phones in the back corner of many supermarkets. These mini home goods sections have largely disappeared.
14. Recipe Card Stands
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Little kiosks with free recipe cards used to dot store aisles. You’d grab one with ideas on how to use what was on sale.
15. Ice Cream Parlor Counters
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Some grocery stores had full-service ice cream counters with scoops and stools. It was part treat, part nostalgia.
16. Petting Zoos or Pony Rides (Yes, Really!)
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In rural areas, family-owned grocery chains sometimes had mini petting zoos or pony rides on weekends. It sounds unbelievable now, but it was a real draw.
17. Local Community Bulletin Boards
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Corkboards full of flyers for babysitting, yard work, or piano lessons once hung near the entrance. Digital classifieds and neighborhood apps have replaced them.
18. In-Store Banking Kiosks
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Mini branches of local banks were common in grocery stores, offering one-stop shopping and banking. However, online banking made them less essential, and many were removed or closed due to low usage.
19. Toy Aisles with Loose Display Items
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Stores used to set out toys for kids to try—bouncy balls, cheap puzzles, wind-up toys. Liability and mess made them disappear.
20. Video Arcade Machines
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Pac-Man, Street Fighter, and pinball machines once stood near the exit or cafeteria. A few quarters turned shopping into an adventure.