Coopers Food Hall opened in the 1990s and was the place to go for all of your grocery needs. Remembered by locals as having ‘everything’ you could need from a food hall, the building is now home to LEAF.Coopers Food Hall opened in the 1990s and was the place to go for all of your grocery needs. Remembered by locals as having ‘everything’ you could need from a food hall, the building is now home to LEAF.
Coopers Food Hall opened in the 1990s and was the place to go for all of your grocery needs. Remembered by locals as having ‘everything’ you could need from a food hall, the building is now home to LEAF. | @angiesliverpool via Twitter

Liverpool retro: 16 lost shops, bars and cafes on Bold Street, including Coopers and Virgin Records

Emma Dukes
By Emma Dukes

Digital Journalist

Published 4th Feb 2024, 09:41 GMT
Updated 4th Feb 2024, 09:52 GMT

Rewind the years and Liverpool's famous Bold Street is unrecognisable.

Bold Street is home to some of Liverpool’s best shops, eateries and bars. But, rewind several years and the bustling street is unrecognisable.

It was still a thriving destination back in the day, however, many of the original stores and restaurants have been closed for quite some time and the younger generation won’t even know they were there.

- Liverpool then vs now: Lord Street over the years

The street is constantly changing, with many businesses launching and sadly closing, with the likes of Love Thy Neighbour and LIV Organic not lasting long at all. And, most recently, the iconic Jimmy's bar shutting up shop.

Back in the 1990s, places such as Morgan’s 50p Shop and FLIP were frequented by many shoppers but, have since been replaced with new offerings.

Locals told LiverpoolWorld they miss the old ‘posh shops’ on the street and other venues such as the iconic Coopers Food Hall, Kardomah Cafe and the original Virgin Records store.

Here, we take a look back at 16 of Bold Street’s forgotten shops, bars and restaurants.

Love Thy Neighbour was a popular cafe on Bold Street, loved by locals. The exact reason behind the closure is unknown but it shut in 2020.

5. Love Thy Neighbour

Love Thy Neighbour was a popular cafe on Bold Street, loved by locals. The exact reason behind the closure is unknown but it shut in 2020. | Google Photo: Google

Once a popular home store, Zen Furniture closed in 2014.

6. Zen Furniture

Once a popular home store, Zen Furniture closed in 2014. | Paul Holloway CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons Photo: Paul Holloway CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Waterstone’s on Bold Street closed in 2014, and the building has been vacant for long stretches since then. It is now home to Haute Dolci.

7. Waterstone’s

Waterstone’s on Bold Street closed in 2014, and the building has been vacant for long stretches since then. It is now home to Haute Dolci. | Irate, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Photo: Irate, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Back in the day, Index was Argos’s biggest rival, with 79 retail outlets in the UK in the late 1980s. Sadly, after rebranding as Littlewood’s Extra, the outlets closed in 2005 - including Liverpool’s Bold Street branch. The unit was then turned into Argos.

8. Index The Catalogue Shop

Back in the day, Index was Argos’s biggest rival, with 79 retail outlets in the UK in the late 1980s. Sadly, after rebranding as Littlewood’s Extra, the outlets closed in 2005 - including Liverpool’s Bold Street branch. The unit was then turned into Argos. | Bobulous, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Photo: Bobulous, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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Related topics:RestaurantsLord StreetNostalgia
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