The Obituary
The British arm of the American F. W. Woolworth chain opened its first store in Liverpool in 1909 and became a fixture of nearly every UK high street, known for cheap household goods, toys, records, and its pick-and-mix sweet counter. Saddled with debt and squeezed by supermarkets and online retailers, Woolworths Group entered administration in November 2008 as the financial crisis hit. No buyer was found for the whole business, and all 807 stores closed by January 2009, putting about 27,000 people out of work. The brand survived only briefly as an online venture.
Worth remembering
- Its pick-and-mix sweet counter was a defining feature of British childhood for generations.
- At its end it operated 807 stores and employed about 27,000 people.
Sources
A graveyard tradition: leave a stone to show you came, and remembered.