“Forced To Close”: Cool Story Bru Lists South African Shops That Disappeared Over the Years

• Content creator Cool Story Bru reminded South Africans of stores that are no longer available to shop at in South Africa
• The shops and franchises listed disappeared for many reasons, including underperformance and fierce competition
• The TikTok video had some social media users listing other stores that had to shut down years ago

Cool Story Bru's Austin Macaskill took people on a trip down memory lane when he discussed several famous stores that no longer exist on South African soil, sparking nostalgia among locals who grew up shopping at the once-iconic retailers.

The content creator uploaded the video on 30 November 2025, mentioning the clothing store JayJays first. He stated that the Australian brand withdrew from South Africa in 2015 because of underperformance. Next was the toy store, Reggie's, which closed due to controversy and protests against the company. Some stores were converted into Toys R Us.

With the rise of music streaming, stores such as Look and Listen and Musica had no option but to close in 2017 and 2021, respectively. Dion Wired also made the list, and Austin commented:

Read also

"Some pantsula moves": Afrikaner man becomes viral sensation with AI dancing

"Due to bad performance and online shopping, Massmart, which also owns Game and Makro, was forced to close the franchise in 2020."

Finally, Austin mentioned Stuttafords, which he stated was a prime clothing shop in South Africa, until competitors and expensive retail spaces led to their closure in 2016.

Watch the TikTok video posted on Austin's account below:

South Africans reminded about other shut-down stores

The viral video prompted thousands of social media users to flock to the comment section to express their opinions about the stores and reminisce about others Austin didn't mention in the video.

@letukavich_ told the public:

"I feel like Musica failed to evolve. They could have literally converted into a digital store, unless it doesn’t work that way."

@monyeanthomas2020 shared their opinion, writing:

"Truworths better take note. They may be going the same route."

@misszulu2 remarked in the comments:

"I miss Stuttafords' cute dresses."

A curious @lungainnocent107 wondered:

"Is Dunns still around?"

Unaware of the stores mentioned, @jay_delen confessed:

"Unfortunately, I have never heard of these shops until today.

Read also

"This is disgusting": South Africans outraged by Camps Bay festivities aftermath

3 Other stories about local shops

• In another article, Briefly News reported that Shoprite allegedly sold beef for less than R10, prompting a mix of responses from local shoppers.
• A woman in Cape Town shared that she had spotted a R4 000 chocolate bar at Pick n Pay, leaving many people in disbelief.
• A shopper shared photos revealing that a Mr Price jeans' sale price was one cent more than its original price.

Source: Briefly News