9 Stores That Anyone Who Grew Up In Rhode Island Will Undoubtedly Remember

There are plenty of places to shop in the Ocean State. Some stores are open for just a few years and others are around for decades. We develop a fondness for certain locations and visit them regularly. When they fall off the retail map, our hearts are slightly broken as we have to find a new favorite place to shop. Take a look at these nine Rhode Island stores and see how many on the list you remember.

Flickr/JJBers

Everyone's favorite discount store, Benny's, was founded in 1924. After a long run in Rhode Island, the last location in Greenfield was closed in December of 2017.

Flickr/Providence Public Library

The Outlet Company was formed in 1891. The store occupied an entire city block and this flagship location dominated the retail market in Providence. This giant closed its doors in 1986 to the disappointment of many Rhode Islanders.

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Flickr/Mike Kalasnick

Kmart was a long-standing go-to-store for almost everything you might need. Sadly in 2017, Cranston, the very last location of this super-store was closed.

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Flickr/Rick Payette

Luckily we still have some Radio Shack locations open in the Ocean State, but over the years we have seen towns like Cranston, Newport, Providence, and Smithfield lose our favorite tech and gadgets stores.

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Flickr/Mike Kalasnik

Toys R Us is saying goodbye to Rhode Island and 182 other locations across the country. It seems like the competition from Amazon is having a hand in shutting down these brick and mortar stores.

Flickr/Random Retail

This discount store has locations throughout Rhode Island back in its heyday, but the company went into a slow decline and eventually shut down in 2002.

Flickr/Mike Mozart

Caldor had a few locations across the Ocean State including Woonsocket, Lincoln, and Warwick. At one time, it was one of the largest discount retailers in the area, but by the time 1999 rolled around, the company shut down all of its stores.

Facebook/The Limited

In January of 2017, The Limited announced the closing of all of its stores. This women's clothing chain was dominant for many years, but now will only be accessible online.

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Flickr/JJBers

This property opened as the Midland Mall in 1967 and was renamed the Rhode Island Mall in 1985. In the 90s, many of its tenants moved to the more popular Warwick Mall and in 2011, the entire mall was shuttered.

How many of these Rhode Island stores did you enjoy shopping in? What other favorite shopping spots in the Ocean State do you miss? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are looking for some retro entertainment, check out this bowling alley that will take you straight back to the 60s.