We asked the 6,000 members of Wearside Echoes – the Sunderland Echo’s specialist nostalgia page on Facebook – and these were among their favourites.
High on the list were Woolworths, C&A, Binns, Joplings and Josephs but there were plenty more too and here is our line-up.
Does this sound like a perfect mix of shops for a dream Sunderland High Street? Take a look and tell us more.
1. West One in Holmeside
A 1998 street view of Holmeside including men's clothing shop West One which was a favourite of Wearside Echoes followers Gary Pearn, Gary Richardson, and Neil Hutchinson. Photo: Sunderland Echo
2. A High Street West favourite
The Sunderland department store of Blackett and Sons Ltd in 1972, shortly before it closed. It was a place which stocked pretty much everything you needed after starting out in drapery, and fans included Michele Arkley and Janice Baird. Photo: Sunderland Echo
3. Woolworths in Fawcett Street
Who doesn't love pick n'mix, LPs, children's clothes, books and toys? You could get all this and more in Woolworths, pictured here in Fawcett Street in 1998. Catherine Hunter, Susan Agar, and Clare Tighe were fond of a visit. Photo: Sunderland Echo
4. Geordie Jeans in Blandford Street
A 1994 view of Geordie Jeans, which was a huge clothing favourite in its heyday. Did you love it? Wearside Echoes followers Veronica Collin Graham, and Karen Butler did. Photo: Sunderland Echo