Here is another short post from the Hastings in Tyler, Texas. This store closed a little bit earlier than the remaining Hastings stores which closed on Oct 29, 2016. As you can see, this store had not been updated in a very long time if ever. Sadly the neon on the front of the store was no longer working at night.
The store closed about 2 weeks after these photos were taken. The store was very busy so I was not able to get a lot of good photos. Employees were walking around the store which also made it hard to get photos.
A typical Hastings Superstore had these departments
Movies for sale and to rent
Music CD's and Records both new and used
Video Games for all major consoles for sale and to rent
Books new and used
Comics
Fan zone with collectibles from the big 3 major sports and all teams
Toys and collectables
Electronics with TV's, CD players, record players, walkmans, tablets
Phone accessories
Guitars and musical instruments
Gag gifts
T-shirts
Outdoor sports
Science projects
Hobby shop with build it yourself cars and RC cars
Skateboards
Magazines and newspapers
Greeting cards
Board games
Magic and Pokemon games
and more
Hastings had a lot of things in one store and you could easily spend hours browsing in the store. Hastings was in the beginning stages of adjusting the products in the stores to increase profits when the company went into bankruptcy.
These signs inside of many Hastings stores were dated, they were very faded. The use of trendy looking young adults did not help either.
Looking towards the front of the store in the video section. Check out the old school video sign.
The middle of the store as seen from the back to the front.
More of the middle of the store.
T-shirt wall was still intact. Note the fallen ceiling tile and water stains.
Random poster in an empty section of the book department.
Another old school department sign.
Here you can see the book section. Note the markings on the wall where the designs were taken off.
A view of the middle of the store facing the book department.
Blockbuster movie grab boxes, a fixture of the Hastings closing sales.
The front area of the store. Notice the quirky light fixtures above the registers.
Wow, these are the Hastings stores I remember. The vintage 1950s-60s looking exteriors and a totally 1990s interior. That video store signage looks like grocery store video rental department from back in the day for sure. Did all Hastings have soft drink fountains in them? That seemed kind of random, but maybe all the stores had them.
ReplyDeleteThis store is almost as vintage looking as those Drug Emporium stores you posted a few years back. It’s a shame that all this retroness had to close, but perhaps the retroness had something to do with them closing in the first place. Well, I’m sure not having profitable products to sell didn’t help either. Thanks for the photos.
Yes several, maybe all Hastings stores had a drink fountain in the front. They also had popcorn at one point as well. The candy at the registers was also tempting. With all of those impulse options at the checkout you would have a hard time passing all of those choices up.
DeleteThis was the most retro Hastings store that I had visited over the past several years. Hunstsville was retro as well but this one probably never had a major remodel.
The retro exterior is actually an old superstore Kroger design from the 70s.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, I will comment further below on Scott's comment.
DeleteThis particular store is actually a former Kroger Superstore. It is the only one between Dallas and Shreveport still standing. It hasn't been Kroger since 1980 or so. It was purchased by Brookshire Grocery upon its closure and it was a B-Mart for several years (a 2 store concept that didn't work). It was split, with the entry and left part of the store going initially to Pancho's, but that's now Advance Auto Parts. The Hastings had occupied that part of the building for over 25 years.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, I wonder what other kind of stores Hastings moved into over the years. I am sure they looked for deals on buildings when they were growing during their peak years.
DeletePancho's is another chain that has been declining for years. I only know of one location in Humble Texas that is still open, there are probably more.
I'm pretty sure there's still a Pancho's next to Almeda Mall. I don't know if they ever improved their food, but it was pretty sad the last time I ate there ~20-25 years ago. Granted, they had a lot of time to improve since then, but I kind of get the feeling that they've had a Kmart-like malaise for the last several decades. Maybe I ought to give them another chance though. I do wonder if a lot of their customers eat there simply due to the retro factor of it.
DeleteHastings in Nacogdoches moved into a former Ashley Furniture store around 2000 from a smaller store. Ironically Ashley started building a new store in Nac just as Hastings announced their bankruptcy.
DeleteThanks for the info Phudman. That stand alone location was not something that Hastings normally moved into. Most of their locations were in big box shopping centers.
DeleteIt has been around a decade or so since I went there. I guess the retro factor is what keeps people coming back.
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