Back when Amazon and internet shopping hadn't yet been dreamt up, the excitement in the run-up to Christmas for children included the arrival of the latest catalogue from Argos - or Index.
Kids in the late '80s and '90s had two 'books of dreams' from their respective shops from which to choose the toys that they wanted that year, and flicking through their pages was always a pre-Christmas highlight. Obviously, Argos is still going strong but, for a time, it was in direct competition from the Index store which was Littlewoods' answer to the high street giant.
They both had a lot in common. Buying something, involved going to the store and filling in a slip with the codes, paying for the items, and then waiting until the goods came from the warehouse at the back - if they were in stock, that is.
Read More: The greatest toys of the ‘80s and ‘90s that every child wanted
Littlewoods was started in Liverpool back in 1923 as a retail and betting company but, by the '80s, it had become the biggest private firm in Europe with its more traditional catalogue business. Index burst onto the scene in 1985, with many opening within Littlewoods stores but, over time, plenty of standalone outlets appeared too.
In just the same way as Argos, Littlewoods' Index stores sought to be an everything under one roof, one-stop shop for customers who could find everything they wanted in one go. Everything from TVs, toys, jewellery, furniture, electronics, and bed/bedding were kept in the back, waiting for customers to make a purchase.
Cardiff had two Index stores - one in the Capitol Centre and the other in the basement of the Littlewoods store on Queen Street. Meanwhile, Swansea was also in on the act with a massive store at what is now the Primark store. Index also had stores in Bangor, Wrexham, and Newport.
The good times didn't last forever though and, in April 2005, it was announced that the Index arms of Littlewoods would close as the company said it had run out of patience with the chain, which racked up losses regularly throughout its 20-year history, amounting to more than £100m.
Littlewoods itself also disappeared from high streets the same year as the company was wound up. However, the brand continues to live on online with its internet offering operated by the Very Group.
We would love to hear your memories of the Index stores you went to in the comments below.
Love nostalgia? Have the best articles emailed to you for free with our nostalgia newsletter. Click here to see all the WalesOnline newsletters.
Read next:
- The full video for Wales' World Cup song by Dafydd Iwan has been released and it is epic
-
Tributes to much-loved bodybuilder who was friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger
-
Former Wales international slams 'dreadful' atmosphere at Wales v New Zealand
-
Millions of households to get extra £500 a year starting this week
