For generations high quality brands such as Jenners, Darlings, and RW Forsyth shared the kilometre-long thoroughfare with a raft of popular stores, including John Menzies, C&A, Littlewoods, Woolworths, and Binn’s.
But recent decades have not been kind to these former retailing giants, and today only Jenners remains, and even that particular Edinburgh icon is all set to vanish.
Away from the big stores, there were plenty smaller outlets that also made their own indelible mark.
Many locals still recall their days shopping at the likes of Lillywhites sports shop, Rankin’s fruit & veg, and Saxone’s shoes. Successful UK-wide franchises such as HMV, Virgin Megastore, the Disney Store, and Burberry are much-missed too.
We asked the public which iconic shops they would like to see return to the city’s main drag, and, boy, did they answer.
To start us off, here are 11 Princes Street shops we’d like to see make a comeback – keep your eyes peeled for part two, which will follow soon.
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1. RW Forsyth
Once a rival to Jenners, RW Forsyth was one of the city's most upmarket department stores and immensely popular with the public, if this Boxing Day 1980 sales queue is anything to go by. Photo: Alan Ledgerwood
2. Wimpy
Back in the day, Wimpy's burgers represented the best of British and served as the main rival to the hot shot American intruder, McDonald's. This particular fast food outlet eventually became a Burger King in the 1990s and Wimpy burger soon disappeared from Princes Street for good. Photo: TSPL
3. Lilywhites
It's been decades since Lilywhites sports shop occupied Princes Street, but plenty of people still recall the shop fondly. Photo: Ian Brand
4. Littlewoods
It was a sad day for Princes Street when Littlewoods closed for the last time. This sprawling store, which sold a large selection of affordable clothing, had been part of the fabric of Edinburgh city centre for generations. Photo: SUSAN BURRELL