The Reject Shop is on its way out - here are the other long lost Aussie shops faced a similar fate

It's been the go-to bargain store for Aussies around the country for decades, but now the Reject Shop is to be no longer.

The discount store, filled to the brim with household essentials and plenty of goodies, is reportedly set to be rebranded to 'Dollarama' following its acquisition by the Canadian company last month.

The Reject Shop stores will be converted into Dollarama stores over the coming years, with some stores already getting a makeover.

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It will mean saying goodbye to the red and yellow branding we know so well in place of Dollarama's well-known iconography.

As it phases out of stores across Australia, The Reject Shop will join a graveyard of stores that have disappeared from our shopping centres and our memories over the years. 

Let's dig them back up for nostalgia's sake. 

BiLo

Remember BiLo? Your memories of this store are likely buried in the recesses of your brain but that iconic yellow and red branding is hard to forget. 

Owned by Wesfarmers, the Australian conglomerate behind Bunnings Warehouse and the Kmart Group, Bi-Lo once had more than 180 outlets around the country. 

Bi-Lo stores were gradually re-branded as Coles Supermarkets from 2006 onward and by June 2017 the final store in Queensland closed. 

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But it took local shoppers a little longer to adjust to the change. Living in Yamba as a teenager, I recall everyone calling the local Coles Bi-Lo for years after it was phased out.

Sanity

If we were still living in Sanity's prime, there would be lines out of every store next month when Taylor Swift launches her much-anticipated album on October 3.

Before the days of Spotify and Apple Music, can you believe we actually had to go to a physical store to buy our favourite artist's new album?

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It seems almost unthinkable these days but alas, Sanity was the go-to music store back in CDs' heyday. 

The last stores in Australia closed down in March 2023, marking the end of a musical era.

Video Ezy

Just like we had to go to a physical store to add to our music collection, remember when movies weren't available at the click of a button on your smart TV?

Instead of scrolling through the endless options, the process of picking a Friday night movie involved driving to the rental store, debating between one overnight rental or five weeklies and then snagging a snack or two from the counter on your way out. 

For many across Australia, Video Ezy was the go-to spot for a movie rental. The brand once boasted over 500 stores around the country. 

The store saw significant store closures in the late '00s and 2010s with the move towards streaming. All stores closed by 2021.

Civic Video

Civic Video was another classic for movie rentals. 

Of course, it was all fun and games until you had to remember to return the DVDs on time or risk copping a pesky late fee. 

The last Civic Video store shut its doors in February 2023, marking the end of an era that will hold a special place in the hearts of many movie buffs. 

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Franklins

The black and white store front of Franklins has to be etched into the brains of plenty of Aussies around the country.

The no-frills supermarkets were spotted around Australia, first being established in 1941 in Sydney by Frank Lindstrom. 

The brand remained in operation for almost eight decades before closing the final stores in 2015.

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Bardot

Millennials and older Gen Zs probably still have a Bardot top or two in their wardrobe (guilty). 

The women's fashion retailer was the go-to spot to pick up some 'jeans and a nice top' for Saturday night. 

But then in 2021, the retailer closed dozens of stores across Australia. The company then went into voluntary administration in November 2020, later revealing it would shut most of its shops across the country.

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