This area of Roadside Peek is dedicated to retail establishments we've all frequented through the years. In this section, we will see both stores that have been around for years (and still are around) and those that have gone away for good. Some are now gone because of a merger. Others simply just couldn't cut it in these times. As you check out these photos, you may remember some of the old familiar scents and displays of these stores, especially during the holidays. This section is centered around Southern California icons that have disappeared. Some of these names still appear in other portions of the U.S.

The Broadway (Gone)
Pasadena, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

“The Broadway Is Southern California” once proclaimed The Broadway, a familiar name on department stores throughout the region. The Pasadena mall location carried on that tradition, later serving as an outlet as the old retail name approached its final years.

The store anchored Plaza Pasadena, which opened in 1980. A trip through the enclosed mall could include everything from clothing and housewares to a stop at the department-store counters, back when a large anchor was a major part of the shopping-day routine.

Federated acquired Broadway Stores in 1995, with the Broadway name disappearing as stores were converted or closed in 1996. Another familiar Southern California shopping bag was headed for the memory pile.

UPDATE : The Broadway Pasadena on Colorado has a weird history. When it opened around 1980, it replaced an older Broadway that was across the street. It was supposed to be a shining star in the Broadway chain. However, when Macy's took over The Broadway Chain in 1996, this store was one of the stores that they decided that they were going to get rid of and sell to Sears. The deal fell through and Macy's kept the store as an outlet store. A few years later, Macy's turned it back into a regular store, renaming it Macy's. A couple of years ago, the entire Pasadena Mall was demolished except for the Macy's, The new mall is now known as Paseo Colorado and the main anchor is the Macy's! Many thanks to Thomas Jones for update. 12-08

UPDATE: Plaza Pasadena was substantially rebuilt as the open-air Paseo development in the early 2000s. The former mall anchor was incorporated into the changes, while its Broadway signs disappeared. This location is separate from the older Broadway building across Colorado Boulevard. 10-26

Fedco (Demolished)
Cerritos, CA
Photo courtesy Sal Garcia

A shopping trip to Fedco in Cerritos could mean browsing electronics, picking up household supplies, and grabbing a pizza pup before heading home. The membership store carried a little of everything, making a quick errand surprisingly easy to turn into an afternoon. 01-07

Clothing, hardware, appliances, and other departments shared the large building. Families could work their way through the aisles with a shopping list, then discover a few things that hadn’t been on it.

The snack counter was part of the routine, too. Sometimes the promise of something to eat helped make another trip through the store a little more appealing. Especially getting a pizza pup.

UPDATE: The Cerritos Fedco at 20200 Bloomfield Avenue was demolished, and a new Target opened on the property in 2001. The shopping continued, though the Fedco name and those familiar food-counter stops became memories. 10-26

Kinney Shoe Stores (Gone)
Various Locations, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Ever need to grab a quick pair of sneakers or GASS earth shoes? Then stop by your nearest Kinney Shoe Store and don't forget your wallet. In its heyday, Kinney Shoes was one of the largest and well known shoe chains. Like the Van's single stores, Kinney's were located in just about every shopping plaza worth a stop. Now, the single-standing full-service Kinney stores are merely a memory.

Kinney became part of F.W. Woolworth in 1963 and later launched Foot Locker in 1974. The athletic-shoe business would carry on long after the older family shoe-store name disappeared.

UPDATE: Parent company Venator announced the closure of the remaining 467 Kinney stores in September 1998. The old full-service chain disappeared, while Foot Locker continued a branch of its retail history. 10-26

Newberry (Gone)
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

When looking for small gifts or other general merchandise, Newberry's was a great place to start. A shopper could load up a basket full of "stuff" at a reasonable price, courtesy of the neighborhood Newberry's. An if you're lucky, you may even find a "special" while in the store. However, like many other "five and dime" stores, Newberry's could not quite make it to the millennium

The familiar name belonged to the older variety-store landscape of Los Angeles, when general merchandise could be found behind a downtown storefront rather than across a sprawling big-box floor.

UPDATE: The Newberry chain faded through closures and ownership changes, leaving its former stores to other uses. At some locations, traces remain underfoot in terrazzo entrances bearing the old Newberry script. Worth watching where you step when passing an older storefront. 10-26