It's been a year since Liverpool said one last goodbye to its much-loved and popular Disney store.
Back in 1989, Clayton Square first opened and with it brought a host of new stores to the city. In the coming years, we saw huge brands such as Tammy Girl, Virgin Megastore and Oasis open - as well as Disney.
In the 1990s, Liverpool was one of the earliest UK Disney stores to open and products linked to the likes of Toy Story or 101 Dalmatians were proving to be a hit. Selling everything from Disney’s character toys to clothes, collectibles and more, it became a go to destination for families shopping in the city centre.
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Even if you didn’t buy anything, rooting around the treasure trove of toys was always a highlight for Liverpool kids. It was also loved for its giant cuddly toy mountain - although looking back, it probably wasn’t all that big.
The store later relocated to Liverpool ONE when the shopping centre opened in 2008. But its success continued.
In February 1993, the Liverpool ECHO reported how the Clayton Square store was one of Disney's "newest and most successful shops." Christos Garkinos, senior marketing manager for Europe at the time said: "We are running a show and this is part of the attraction.
"It is a fantasy world within a store, a real paradise for children - and their parents. Children perhaps experiencing it for the first time, parents re-living it all over again.
"The magic of Disney never wears off, no matter how old you are. we can always related to the characters and the magic they bring. As well as the old characters, there are always new ones to keep Disney alive."
Lots of great memories were made at the popular shop, from annual traditions to visit to buy Christmas presents for loved ones to venturing inside to feel the magic as a kid. Many will remember how popular Liverpool's Disney shop was through the years and seeing its treasure trove of toys, the cuddly toy mountain and queuing for must have toys.
One particular stand out moment for the Clayton Square store was Christmas Eve 1996, when hundreds of shoppers queued to buy new Buzz Lightyear toy. At the time, the ECHO reported how mums and dads had waited "for infinity and beyond" to get their hands on a coveted Buzz Lightyear toy and how some did not go home empty-handed.
Do you rem ember when Liverpool had a Disney shop? Let us know in the comments section below.
Queues formed at the Disney store in Clayton Square, Liverpool, just after 5am when news came that the store was the only one in the North-West to get hold of the toy before Christmas. Parents had originally been told to come back on December 28 for the £24.99 toys but later manager Carl Bartlett was told that a consignment of 1,000 would be arriving ready for business and he was confidently predicted that they would be sold out by the end of the day.
At the time, Carl said: "We have had six phone lines which have not stopped for the past six weeks with people after Buzz. I have never known anything like it before. The 1,000 toys will easily be sold by the end of the day. It means that at least a few more children will not be disappointed this Christmas."
Over the years, Liverpool's Disney shops, first Clayton Square and then Liverpool ONE, brought a lot of joy and happy memories to customers across Merseyside and beyond. But in 2021, it was reported that all Disney stores in the UK were set to close by September that year, except two flagship stores in London’s Oxford Street and Dublin.
By October 5 last year, it was announced that Liverpool ONE's Disney Store was closing its doors after more than a decade at the shopping centre. The Disney Store at the time informed customers of its impending closure ‘"on or before" Friday, October 8.
A large sign outside, in a nod to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, read: "Thank you for being our guest. This store will close on or before Friday 8th October. You’ll still be able to find amazing items from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic plus lots more magic at shop Disney.co.uk."
Later that week, we shared some of your memories of the lost Liverpool Disney stores. At the time, Chelsea commented: “"My dad used to dare me to dive into the massive pile of teddies. Can't remember ever having the courage to do it, but I know if I did he would have been over the moon!"
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Angie tagged her mother-in-law and said: "Going with my mother-in-law who was getting my son Jack a Buzz Lightyear for Christmas when they first came out and they were like gold dust. Happy times"
Julia shared a memory of the Clayton Square store. She said: "Watching the queue for Buzz Lightyear going right around the corner and Disney staff bringing out cups of tea for the people. Must have been mid 90s."
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And Katy commented: "I met my other half for the first time at the Clayton Square Disney Store in 2008, what started as an amazing friendship became an amazing relationship. We would go every time we were in town. Every Christmas from when we got together we would go and pick a tree decoration to commemorate another year. It won't be the same shopping online and we definitely can't afford to travel down to London. Sad times."
It's now been a year since we said a last goodbye to Liverpool's Disney store. But customers still hold fond memories of their time shopping there today.
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