Sheffield retro: 22 nostalgic photos taking you inside popular department stores of the 60s and 70s

They are the last word in convenience, offering everything under one roof, from shoes to soft furnishings, slap-up meals and even a haircut.

Sheffield today has just one department store left standing - Atkinsons, at the bottom of The Moor, which has been serving citizens for more than 150 years.

But that was far from the case during the 1960s and 70s, which was a golden age for the department store.

Pauldens, Cockaynes, Cole Brothers, Walsh’s, Peter Robinson, and the huge Co-op at Castle House were among the popular department stores at the time.

This retro photo gallery takes you inside those stores, showing how we used to shop half a century ago.

It will whisk you back to a time before barcodes, loyalty cards and self-checkouts.

Shopping - within Sheffield’s department stores at least - was a much more glamorous affair back then, as these photos show, with grand spiral staircases, fancy restaurants with tablecloths and linen napkins, and even in-house hairdressers.

Do these photos bring back any memories, and what do you think is the best department store Sheffield has ever had? Let us know in the comments section.

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