Save woolworths - What would you do if you were in charge

[Andy Hamilton]

I have a strong feeling that Woolworths in going to go bust and dissapear very soon. (I am talking about the uk side of woolworths)

I think they have totally lost their way, selling jeans for £2 - they are not primark or asda. I don't see why they don't sell to their strengths. When I think of woolworths I think pick and mix and other nostalgic items not cheap tat (mind you perhaps that's what they have always sold).

If I was in charge I would sell off 90% of the present stock, at cost if needs be. Then start concentrating on selling traditional UK goods sort of like a bigger version of the Edingburgh Wool mill but with all UK stuff. Toy red buses, mint humbugs all that sort of stuff. Make a big thing of the woolworth shops in tourist towns so that they are the only store that you think of when you want to get a good quality souvenir.

Mind you if I was in charge might have gone bust already.

[Shirley]

I hardly ever go to Woolies.... but always remember that it was the shop we went to wherever we were on holiday as children to buy a bucket and spade and other toys. My grandad (much missed) used to take us there and buy a bag of pick n mix - blimey Andy, you've sparked up a heap of memories for me this morning.

I think it would be a great idea for them to sell QUALITY souvenirs, not the traditional touristy tat that a lot of places sell.

[Annpan]

I know woolies as more of a hardware store... The place to pick up that pyrex measuring jug or the splatter gaurd, and some dylon...

But there stock in trade these days seems to be JML* and over packaged toys.

I don't shop in woolies anymore, but then... I don't really shop anymore



*JML - An 'inventions' company, selling such items as super mop, magic duster and stick-on invisible bra. All those things that you can never see how you lived without... and inevitablly, within 3 weeks purchase they sit forgotton, in the back of a cupboard somewhere...

[ina]

They seem to have nothing but sweets, sweets, more sweets, and cheap kids' clothes and toys. Some household stuff, but rarely what I really needed. Oh, and sweets. I think I bought a CD there once.

Heard they are teaming up with Somerfields, to get into the "convenience food" market... And that's supposed to be an improvement?

[Stonehead]

I've never been in a Woolworths. There was one in Walthamstow when I lived there, but from the outside it look like an abandoned set from The Sweeney.

[Russian Doll]

they need to go back to there rots and start selling affordable but quality homeware....

[multiveg]

The Woolies store here used to do the school uniforms but a local shop took over - what utter RUBBISH they sell at exorbitant prices - the school jumper went holey after 3 weeks of wear, the red airtex type top still ran after umpteen washes... I know I know, you are going to tell me off now - I bought plain tops/jumpers without the school logo from A**a (but have no complaints about the quality and no "additions" to landfill with rubbish quality clothing that a charity shop wouldn't touch with a barge-pole). The mother of one of my son's classmates said that when Woolies did the branded uniforms, the quality was a lot better.

[ina]

I visited South Africa in 1992 (I think), and was amazed to find that Woolworth's there was a really good shop! (Must add that in Germany they seemed even worse than here in Scotland.) In SA they had good quality, affordable clothes and homeware - just what one would like. And they were a clean, friendly and pleasant place to shop in. (My big sis, who lives there, insisted I needed a sundress, to blend in with the general female SA population. )

[Martin]

Well, as a child, Woolworths was the bogie man with whom backsliding children were threatened - "you pull your socks up young lady, or you'll end up working in Woolworths" was oft heard ringing round the class in primary school........

[Thomzo]

I must confess that I go into Woolworths in Swindon regularly only to walk throught the shop and out the other door which is right opposite the craft shop

I was in there just the other day wondering why anybody went in there. I did manage to find some wrapping paper.

Zoe

[Sky]

I think we once bought a couple of trees from Woolworths and a clematis.

[mrsflibble]

I agree with you Andy, sell more of the traditional stuff.

[multiveg]

I must confess that I go into Woolworths in Swindon regularly only to walk throught the shop and out the other door which is right opposite the craft shop

I was in there just the other day wondering why anybody went in there. I did manage to find some wrapping paper.

Zoe

The one in my old town, was used as a shortcut into the highstreet! Then they closed and stayed out of town until a new shopping centre thing was built and a "chemist" moved there with Woolies taking over their old site.

[mrsflibble]

on the album "one fair summer evening" Nanci Griffith gives her views on the woolworth store, going from telling the audience about getting the bus across Austin, to how she was surprised to see a woolworth when she was travelling through london. I've transcribed this from that album, 'cos it shows how they used to be:

"one of my greatest fascinations in life has always been a little store where you can go in and get a vanilla coke, listen to the popcorn machine go pop pop pop and dig through the record bin and find a record for $0.69 that you've always wanted, all your life. When I was in high school, the only way you could get from North Austin to South Austin on the bus was to get off the bus in Central Austin and get on another bus. Where you changed the bus at 6th and Congress, there was a place called the Woolworth store and I always had just enough time to run into the Woolworth store and get myself a vanilla coke, dig through the record bin, wink at the boys and get back on the bus.
Woolworth stores are the same everywhere in the world, they have this wonderful smell to 'em. They smell like popcorn and chewing gum rubbed around on the bottom of a leather soled shoe.
The first time I went to europe we landed in london and we were driving through central london and we came around the corner and by golly there was a woolworth store. I wanted 'em to stop the car and let me out so I could go fill up my suitcase with unnecessary plastic objects.[...]"


now they smell like petrochemicals and magazine print.

[theabsinthefairy]

As a child I liked Woolies - it always seemed so full of exciting colourful things whose purpose I could not divine.



As an adult, I found it full of cheap plastic tat.