They are always there when disaster strikes, like when there’s no milk for your morning tea.
The people who run them, often working long hours to keep you stocked with all the daily essentials, are the unsung heroes of every community.
They are the friendly, familiar faces, always looking out for their customers, and often the most reliable source of local gossip.
This retro photo gallery, chronicling corner shops across Sheffield from the 60s to the 90s, is a tribute to those characters and the popular stores they ran.
Many of the corner shops pictured have sadly succumbed over the years to competition from supermarkets and, more recently, online shopping.
But others have stayed the distance, showing their worth more than ever during times of great adversity, like when the Covid pandemic struck.
Do these photos bring back any memories of your old local corner shop, and what’s the one shop in your community you’d be lost without?
All the photos featured are shared courtesy of Picture Sheffield.
17. Tinsley
C. Smith corner shop, at the junction of St Lawrence Road and Newmarch Street, Tinsley, pictured some time between 1980 and 1999. The exact date is unknown. | Picture Sheffield Photo: Picture Sheffield
18. Wybourn
Cormer shop at the junction of Aston Street and Bernard Road, Wybourn, in July 1965 | Picture Sheffield Photo: Picture Sheffield
19. Neepsend
Mrs. M. Clay's corner shop, at the junction of Russell Street and Bowling Green Street, Neepsend, in June 1965 | Picture Sheffield Photo: Picture Sheffield
20. Burngreave
W.H. Robinson, fruiterer and florist, on the corner of Brunswick Road and Spital Street, Burngreave, in June 1965 | Picture Sheffield Photo: Picture Sheffield