Woolies Winter Wonderland…

Graham Soult

Retail consultant, writer, blogger; helping retailers via CannyInsights.com and CannySites.com. Say hello on Twitter at @soult!

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15 Responses

  1. Graham Soult says:

    Are you sure Thomas? Last time I was in Chester-le-Street it had already reopened as a B&M Bargains.

  2. thomas says:

    well woolworths in chester-le-street is opening again has poundland ltd which be opening very soon

  3. John says:

    I think there is another possible reason for charity shops occupying former Woolworths branches on a temporary basis. If the shop stands empty, then the landlord has to pay rates on it. But if it is occupied by a charity, then no rates are payable at all.

    That would appear to provide a financial motive to the landlord to let a charity occupy the shop pending a commercial tenant being found – even if it is rent free.

    At one stage (in the 80’s to 90’s), a number of profitable Woolworths stores were closed and sold (at one time they owned most of the freeholds debt-free) to raise capital for other ventures as part of a strategy which some likened to selling the family silver. Ripley was closed in that era, and that might well have been the reason why.

  4. Graham Soult says:

    Hi Keith, thanks for your comments! This must be example of where the closure list was incorrect – I seem to recall that it did include some stores that had, in fact, already shut.

    This Tamworth Herald story clearly shows that the extended M&S had already opened in December 2008: http://www.thisistamworth.co.uk/news/Star-shoppers-cut-M-S-launch/article-540935-detail/article.html

    It was the town centre store that shut on 2 January 2009.

  5. Keith Shayshutt says:

    Tamworth…
    According to the official list of Woolworth’s closure dates the Tamworth Ventura Retail Park Store closed on 2 January 2009. There was prior to this a store in Tamworth Town Centre – see my photo at
    http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=41145037@N07&q=Tamworth&m=text
    I am not aware of the closure date on the Town Centre store however.

  6. Keith Shayshutt says:

    See my photo of Woolworths Westfield Derby at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ballysundriven/3804588599/

    Also Derby Southgate Retail Park Woolworths which is still unchanged to this day on http://www.flickr.com/photos/ballysundriven/3804595467/

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