General Chat

I worked in Colchester Woolies from 1975-79 this was a new store after fire destoyed the previous one a few years earlier. In those days they had a wide variety of goods. Grocery and greengrocery, sweets sold by weight, delicatessan, bakery, stationery, jewellery, make-up & toiletries, gifts, clothes, D.I.Y. electrical goods, household and lots more. The previous store, which I remember going into as a child sold loose biscuits and had a snack bar which also sold ice-creams. I think they have really gone downhill in the last few years, The one we have now sells mostly sweets, toys, CD's DVD's and kids clothes.

Ours moved out of the city centre years ago so is at a location with a Morrisons, Boots, Next, Argos and other stores by the Railway station. Plenty of parking but somewhere you only go to for a reason, not browse in as you pass.
Recently our Somerfield squeezed up their stock to make an area for Woolworths to sell in, then it was delayed then they just brought in all the bargain electrical and household stuff, will have to see if it is still there when I go over later.

I did used to go to the out of town one when it was Big W for a while, it included Peacocks within the store, then squeezed up into a smaller space so other stores could rent some of the property.

I understand they will continue trading while they look for a rescue package or buyer.

Lizx

B&Q owners Kingfisher, severed their ties with Woolworths some years ago. It was demerged as a separate trading company in 2001.

Superdrug was sold to Kruidvat who in turn was subsequently sold to AS Watson in 2001.

Comet is now part of Kesa Electricals

My sons on his way To MFI paid £400 for a wardrobe unfortuantly he paid cash not credit card so no protection, He's taken a screw driver with him and says he's taking the one off display.

Yes it seems that these shops go, and then they become either Charity Shops, or as in Southampton, Bars and Nightclubs.

It's very sad,another end to an era. Most children spent their first pocket money in Woolworth's,a trusted and respected household name.

My Daughter has just left after working for them 8 years,she was happy there but staff have known for a very long time that there were serious problems.

Through the years Woolworths have always kept up to date and knew what customers wanted,but times have changed ie internet and poundshops etc. so they fell behind.They are part of B&Q. Superdrug and Comet too.
I hope 'someone' takes over as it would be a shame if all stores were boarded up,(as seems to be happening more and more across the country) and I'd be sad if it's name disappeared from the high street.

It is a shame but both these companies lost their way years ago, and neither really knew what their target market was. The have both been struggling to make profits for several years.

It is not surprising that come come a recession, they are the some of the first to go under.

I'm sure there will be lots more. DSG (PC World / Currys) aren't looking so good at the moment either. They caught a big cold last year by stocking up with laptops that no one wanted.

Was not owned by a film star , but by an American, Barbara Hutton, who was married at one time to Cary Grant,(the film star)
She went on to have various husbands, and was a very unhappy woman with all her millions.
When I was young, she was know as Barbara Hutton the Woolworth heiress

Woolworths should have stopped at the cheap goods, which we used to go in and buy with our pocket money, nothing over 1/-, but the same as with all the Companies, they have to get their fingers in all the pies, with sad results.

When Banks , Building Societies,Estate Agents, and Insurance Companies, were just that, all was fine, but then they got greedy, and all went into Insurance. Also the Supermarkets are after you taking out Insurance. If they had all stuck to their own business, half of them would not be in the trouble they are in now.

I bought my first lipstick from Woollies - I must have been about 13 - can't remember how much I paid for it. Also remember buying a white clutch bag there for 2/6d - shucks thats showing my age - I shall go now.............

Love Mary xx

Its very sad.

I live near the main distribution warehouse were there are hundreds of jobs going to go. Ive also worked there myself in years gone by. This will be a big shock to our town and sadly at this time of year.

The shop in the town was used as a centre of excellence for all the others. It always has plenty of people in at all times of the day but obviously not enough!

Ours in Gloucester is quite good, I have bought a lot of ladybird clothes for grandaughter there over the last 6 years, even got her a couple of tops there for christmas this year.

Ann
Glos

Have to say, Karen, I think they've gone downhill lately, too. Our local one is quite a small branch (the one in Leicester was much bigger and had a good, affordable on a student budget selection of homewares, but just before I graduated they closed the one in the main shopping precinct there and moved it miles away) but the range of stock has got wider at the expense of the quality. I think they've tried too hard to diversify.

I'm sad but not surprised at this outcome.

I think many Items were over priced, such as children's clothing & 9 out of 10 times, their dvd/cds/games were always slightly dearer than many of the other shops.

As its been said before, I also think it sold too many different things, things which people could buy elsewhere cheaper.instead of specializing in a few set things. Everytime I go in the shop, it seems a miss match if bits, leaving me confused at why I went in there in the first place :o))

Ps our store also had the sold out but boxes on the shelf for a long while, the problem as ongoing. and very irritating after queing at a busy lengthy que for ages to leave empty handed

In the name of nostalgia take a look at this site

http://museum.woolworths.co.uk/

I'm not really surprised at MFI, our store closed down a few weeks ago after selling literally everything in the shop off, the store had only been reopened a few months after they had to build following a fire. They started outpricing themselves... people always associated them with good furniture on reasonable prices but they got far too expensive. our new store didn't even have sofas like the old one did. they said had to go to nearest one...in lancaster, which is insane.

Very sad about woollies though. Hopefully someone will buy it up. We were in woollies just a couple of weeks ago to buy a DS game as an Xmas pressie. Picked up the boxes (as did a couple of others) and took it to the till...sorry sold out. Well why was it on the shelf...usually they have a sold out sign on them. I like our woollies but it's never properly staffed.

I remember going to buy a quarter of salted peanuts on a Saturday in the early '70's with my mates.

But these days I don't ever go into Woolies and haven't for years: too crowded, displays packed too high, aisles too narrow, not enough sales assistants so no floor service, long waits at the tills, and as someone already said, too diversified so not sufficient stock of anything. A really unpleasant shopping experience.

snap so did I Ann.

Star

My mum worked in woollys for a while in the seventies, and I bought my first record in our local one, I think a film star owned it at one time but it is a end of a era.
lynn

We stoppped going our woolies a while ago ,it was so cluttered with stuff you couldnt find what you wanted.. shame though, I loved going to their shops..

I bought my Mama Mia DVD there on Monday!!!

yet another victim of the ever expanding supermarket.....Toys, CD.s Childrens Clothes etc can be bought along with the weekly food shop...It is sad, but have to admit that I can not remember the last time I shopped there.