What businesses are SC nostalgic for?
There’s something uniquely powerful about the brands we grew up with — the places that weren’t just stores, but small rituals woven into everyday life. From Friday night trips to rent a movie to wandering the aisles of a favorite bookstore or toy shop, these experiences stuck.
MarketBeat, a financial media company, surveyed 3,014 respondents (45+) to uncover which defunct chains South Carolinians most want to see make a comeback.
“What this data shows is that the connection people have to these brands goes beyond what they sold,” said Matt Paulson, founder of MarketBeat, in the report. “Many of these stores turned everyday errands into actual experiences, whether that was picking out a movie, browsing without time pressure, or shopping with family. As retail has become faster and more transactional, that sense of occasion has started to disappear, and people are realizing they miss it.”
The top 5 were as follows:
#1 Blockbuster
No surprise that Blockbuster took the top spot. Blockbuster didn’t just rent movies – it owned Friday night. It was the place where indecision became a group sport, and you’d spend 40 minutes debating between a new release and something your friend swore was “actually good,” only to panic-grab both. The blue-and-yellow glow, the wall of new releases, the thrill of finding the last copy behind the box – it all felt like an event. Streaming may be easier, but it’s never quite matched the ritual, the anticipation, or the low-stakes drama of a Blockbuster run.
#2 Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks was the dependable mall companion – smaller, cozier, and always within reach. It didn’t try to overwhelm you; it just had enough of everything to make a quick visit feel worthwhile. You’d pop in between errands, scan a few shelves, and almost always leave with something you hadn’t planned on. It was simple, familiar, and easy to return to – the kind of place that quietly became part of your routine without ever needing to stand out.
#3 Hollywood Video
Hollywood Video was the slightly edgier cousin in the rental world – a bit less polished, a bit more chaotic, but often the place you went when the other store had nothing left. It had that underdog appeal, where you’d stumble across something unexpected simply because your first choice was gone. For a lot of people, it wasn’t just about the movies, but the last-minute pivot, the surprise pick, and the feeling that the best find was rarely the one you planned.
#4 Borders
Borders was more than a bookstore. It was somewhere you could disappear for a while. Bigger, brighter, and more open than most, it invited you to wander, sit down, and stay longer than you meant to. There was no rush, no pressure to buy – just the quiet promise that you might stumble across something interesting if you gave it enough time. In an era of quick clicks and shorter attention spans, that sense of space and possibility is what people miss most.
#5 Woolworth
Woolworth felt like a different era wrapped into a single store – part department store, part lunch counter, part everyday essential. You could pick up household bits, grab a snack, and somehow feel like you were part of something slightly more old-fashioned and grounded. It had a rhythm to it, a slower pace that made even a quick visit feel like a small outing. In a world of hyper-efficiency, Woolworth is remembered less for what it sold, and more for how it made everyday shopping feel a little more human.
To see what stores topped the list in other states, see the infographic online.
Provided by Market Beat.