Window display, Poundstretcher Wombwell (3 Nov 2011)

A few days ago, I blogged about how Poundstretcher in Newcastle needs to sell itself better in order to capitalise on the extra footfall generated by the opening of Discount UK opposite. I argued that the quality of Poundstretcher’s products, and its homewares in particular, is much higher than the shoddy advertising board and lacklustre store environment would lead shoppers to believe.

Sadly, presentation issues seem to permeate throughout the 350-strong chain. On Thursday last week I was touring South Yorkshire, and took the opportunity to visit the Poundstretcher in Wombwell, near Barnsley. The experience, I’m sorry to say, was very poor.

Poundstretcher, Wombwell (3 Nov 2011)

Externally, the shop at least ticks one box by featuring the latest Poundstretcher logo and fascia, which is increasingly replacing the disparate visual identities across the chain. However, the cluttered frontage of plastic containers and window posters offers neither an attractive shop window, nor views into the store. I was especially puzzled by the stacks of Andrex that filled the right-hand window – surely no-one can think that this creates an appealing first impression?

Inside, I was shocked by the state of the shop, which was generally untidy and had litter on the floor. Poundstretcher makes an unfortunate habit of piling display stock in the aisles as well as on the shelves, but much of the product on the floor here was in unpacked boxes. As well as making the shopfloor look like a stockroom, it would have been impossible for anyone with a pushchair or in a wheelchair to negotiate the store.

Wilkinson, Wombwell (3 Nov 2011)

If the branches are holding more stock than they can physically store, this is a supply chain issue that Poundstretcher’s bosses need to tackle. In the meantime, Wombwell’s shoppers can be forgiven if they opt instead for the shiny, modernised Wilkinson store over the road.

Former Woolworths (now Poundstretcher), Camborne (20 Feb 2011)

Though Wombwell is an established Poundstretcher branch, a lot of the same flaws apply even to the newly opened branches – many of which are in former Woolworths locations. As well as the stores in Camborne and North Berwick that I’ve mentioned before, I’ve recently paid visits to the new stores in Tiverton (one of the ex-Woolies sites acquired from Alworths, and opened in May) and Melksham (the last former Woolworths site in Wiltshire to reopen, in September last year).

Poundstretcher (formerly Woolworths and Alworths), Tiverton (9 Sep 2011)

Poundstretcher (former Woolworths), Melksham (9 Oct 2011)

While these new stores benefit from being generally cleaner than the older shops in the estate, there are still issues with products cluttering the aisles and an excess of both goods and promotional posters in the shop windows. In contrast, modern variety store retailers such as Wilkinson, Discount UK and Home Bargains manage to combine a strong value offer with stores that are still clean, bright and appealing, both inside and facing the street.

Poundstretcher’s product is strong (yet currently undersold), and the retailer is finally getting to grips with the historically confused brand that sees page 1 of Google Image Search bring up six different logo variations. Clean, tidy and accessible shops are a retailing basic, however, and Poundstretcher could do worse than to learn from – and pay some Soult-style visits to – its shinier value competitors.

Wellchester's Claire Robertson (8 Sep 2011)

For someone who makes a habit of visiting old Woolworths – and I’ve racked up about 140 so far – there can be few ex-Woolies sites more celebrated than the one in Dorchester (store #403).

The story is well known: former Woolworths store manager Claire Robertson was hailed as a heroine of the downturn when she reopened her old shop as Wellworths, gave most of the staff their jobs back, and became a TV documentary star and chum of radio DJ Chris Evans. In turn, Claire’s actions paved the way for other ‘sons of Woolies’ to be born – including Smallworths in Selsdon, Wee W in Stornaway, and the shortlived Alworths chain – while Chelmsford’s Faith girls were inspired to (briefly) reincarnate their collapsed store as Hope.

Wellchester (with old signage) in Dorchester (8 Sep 2011)

Two-and-a-half years later, Wellworths remains a fixture on Dorchester’s South Street, though today (16 September) marks the start of a new chapter as it rebrands itself to Wellchester.

As I reported back in November, the move was necessitated by Shop Direct – owner of the Woolworths trademark since the chain’s collapse – who argued that the Wellworths brand was too similar to its own, and insisted that Claire curtail any expansion plans if she wished to retain the use of the name. Rather than face this limitation, the new Wellchester brand was born – celebrating the place where the business started, while still ensuring that it can be known as Wellies for short.

New and old logos

A week before the relaunch, I finally visited (the then) Wellworths to meet Claire and to take a guided tour around her store. Well used to dealing with the media by now, Claire is as delightful and professional as you’d expect, and her passion – for her staff, for her store, for Dorchester, and for retail in general – comes across strongly. I also detected a steely determination and a sense of not taking any nonsense – surely a valuable combination of assets for anyone seeking to build a fledgling retail business into a long-term success.

Almost since Wellworths was first launched, the media has speculated about possible expansion for the business. Claire confirmed to me that she is on the lookout for additional sites in the Dorset area, and has one or two locations in mind, though nothing suitable has become available as yet. It’s clear, however, that making the Dorchester store as successful as possible – and avoiding an Alworths-style overexpansion – remains Claire’s focus.

Pick 'n' mix at Wellchester (8 Sep 2011)

The store itself is an interesting mix of the old and new. On the shopfloor, the wooden flooring, ex-Woolies shelving and core product categories – such as toys, stationery, homewares and the iconic pick ‘n’ mix – ensure that Wellies retains a distinct whiff of Woolies.

Kitchenware aisle at Wellchester (8 Sep 2011)

The generally professional feel of the instore signage, visual merchandising and shelf labelling also gives the impression of a business that is much larger than just a single store.

A bit of Woolies heritage at Wellies (8 Sep 2011)

Upstairs, in the staff and stockroom areas, the Woolworths heritage is more explicit. Claire pointed out the old noticeboard outside the staff room, which retains its Woolies logo and the slightly odd strapline ‘People serving people’ – presumably a fairly fundamental principle for any retailer.

Wellchester's stockroom, Dorchester (8 Sep 2011)

Meanwhile, in the stockroom, Claire revealed that most product categories are stored in the same locations as they were in the Woolworths days, and that staff often still refer to them by their Woolies department numbers. Old habits, it would seem, die hard!

Yet for all the reminders of the past, Claire’s tailoring of ranges for the local market ensures that Wellies has grown into a store that feels very much a part of its community and has developed a personality of its own. Some of this is no doubt down to Claire’s own prominence and visibility; while I was touring the shopfloor with her, for example, she was approached by a customer who clearly knew who she was and wanted her to direct them to the shoe polish aisle.

Inside Wellchester (8 Sep 2011)

As Claire took me around her store, many of the most interesting stories related to how the shop’s ranges have been tweaked over time in response to customer demand, with new categories introduced, and some established ones expanded or reduced. Claire highlighted this as one of the big differences between Woolies and Wellies – moving from a format where store managers had limited power over the products that customers were offered, to one where Claire and her team can respond decisively if categories are underperforming or show further potential.

Groceries at Wellchester (8 Sep 2011)

Near the tills, for example, Claire has recently introduced a small range of groceries from Booker’s Euro Shopper value range. This features everyday products such as tinned foods, biscuits and jams, and is apparently proving popular.

Entertainment and confectionery at Wellchester (8 Sep 2011)

Though always a staple of Woolworths’ offer, entertainment is another category that Claire chose not to bring in at Wellies in the beginning, but has subsequently introduced in response to customer demand. The primary reason for not stocking CDs and DVDs to start with – the wafer-thin margins on chart product – remains an issue, and Claire highlighted how a new DVD can be cheaper to buy at Tesco than it is from her supplier. However, she noted that the popularity of the store’s back-catalogue ranges takes off some of the pressure to stock every new release.

Computer accessories at Wellchester (8 Sep 2011)

Another recent arrival is the computer accessories department, introduced on a concession basis but fully integrated into the overall look and feel of the store. This has apparently been more successful than expected, and is going to be expanded further in the coming weeks.

Picture frames at Wellchester (not stationery...) (8 Sep 2011)

One department that I was bound to ask about was picture frames, which everyone remembers from the 2009 How Woolies Became Wellies documentary on BBC One. The programme charted the run-up to the store’s opening and Claire’s recruitment of a young buyer – since departed from the company – who memorably filled an entire aisle with picture frames of every size and type. Happily, his legacy lives on in what Claire admitted is one of the store’s most popular product categories, recently supplemented with a small range of canvas prints.

Childrens' clothing at Wellchester (8 Sep 2011)

Children’s clothing, in contrast, is an area that Claire highlighted as performing less well than hoped. Like entertainment, it was another ex-Woolies staple that Wellworths hadn’t initially stocked, but later introduced in response to customers’ requests. I noticed that items were being cleared at 40% off marked prices, and Claire told me that she plans to focus more attention on childrens’ accessories – such as gloves and socks – which have performed more strongly for the store to date.

Wellworths-branded hardware products (8 Sep 2011)

When I visited the store, preparations were already underway for today’s relaunch, and, contrary to what you might expect, Claire explained that the cost of switching names will be relatively low. For example, the store’s business card and letterhead supplies were already running out, while its Wellworths-branded hardware products will be replaced with Wellchester ones as stock is sold through. 

The retention of the logo’s existing typeface and orange and blue colour scheme means that the window vinyls and instore signage – which features the corporate colours, but not the store name – do not have to be changed, and even at the front of the store, the ‘Well-’ half of the fascia can be kept with only the ‘-worths’ part replaced. At the same time, Claire is using the relaunch as an opportunity to tidy up the store’s rear service entrance on Trinity Street, adding signage where previously there was none.

Rear of Wellchester, Dorchester (8 Sep 2011)

Overall then, I was pretty impressed with what Claire and her team have achieved at Wellies. It’s a good-looking, well-stocked store, with many attractive and keenly priced products. Indeed, most things about it – from the product to the presentation – are much better than the slightly disappointing Alworths (now long gone) that I visited in Amersham last year.

Importantly, Claire and the other staff also seem to have a great team dynamic, and exude a real sense of enjoying their work – perhaps not too surprising, given their history of working together back in the Woolworths days.

Inside Wellchester (8 Sep 2011)

Most crucially of all, perhaps, Wellies was busy with shoppers for the full hour and a half that I was there. When Claire first launched Wellworths in 2009, she made the point that Woolworths in Dorchester had always been profitable, and it’s easy to see why. There’s no doubt that the store benefits both from its great location at the heart of Dorchester’s main thoroughfare – next to Marks & Spencer and opposite the independent department store Goulds – as well as from limited local competition in quite a few of its product categories.

Dorchester's busy South Street (8 Sep 2011)

However, in evolving Wellworths into Wellchester over the last two-and-a-half years, Claire seems to have avoided the trap of taking any success for granted, or of coasting along on the back of the store’s celebrity. Through decisive management and the hard work of all its staff, Wellchester has grown – and is still growing – into a store of which both Claire and Dorchester can be proud, and that performs a valuable function on the town’s high street.

Existing Waitrose in Tudor Arcade, Dorchester (8 Sep 2011)

Challenges lie ahead, for sure. Nationally, the economic situation is still flaky, while in Dorchester itself, Simons Developments’ Charles Street Project – set to feature 20 new shops and a replacement Waitrose – will bring both opportunities and competition for the town’s established retailers. Equally, any new Wellchester stores will need to respond to their local communities’ needs in just the way that Wellies in Dorchester has.

However, having met Claire, I certainly wouldn’t bet against her achieving her retail ambitions. Today is a new start for Wellchester, and it will be fascinating to see where it goes next.

Haldanes logo

The independent supermarket chain Haldanes looks set to become the latest retail casualty, after filing for an administration order today.

In a statement this afternoon, Arthur Harris, the CEO of Haldanes Stores Ltd and Ruston Retail, said:

“Following advice from our lawyers and an insolvency practitioner, we have made the decision to seek an administration order for Haldanes Stores Limited and Ruston Retail Limited in order to protect our position.

“The directors and I are devastated at having to take this step and our thoughts are with our employees who find themselves facing an uncertain future; we would like to publicly thank them for their efforts and loyalty during their time with Haldanes.”

Though Harris’ statement continues by promising to “work closely with the administrator and do our utmost to secure the future of a group of stores in the Haldanes estate”, BBC News is reporting that most of the stores will close next week (14 June), with four shops likely to be acquired by other retailers.

This accords with the update I received from a Kelso shopper earlier today, who told me that staff in her town’s branch of Haldanes had been informed this morning that the store would close on Tuesday. Kelso’s Haldanes, incidentally, is a store that has been through the whole cycle of Safeway to Morrisons to Somerfield to Co-op, prior to assuming its current tenant.

Haldanes store, Belper (23 Dec 2010)

News of Haldanes’ troubles, while unwelcome, is not completely unexpected. Only yesterday, the Haldanes website was taken down, and my Kelso contact reported that it was “getting desperate in the shop”, with “shelves only half full, great gaps everywhere, and staff walking round saying sorry to customers. What a mess – it just means people are going elsewhere because they can’t shop local.”

Deserted Haldanes store (28 Apr 2011). Photograph by Bryan Roberts

For the last month, Haldanes has also been engaged in an extraordinary public dispute with the Co-operative Group, from which it acquired its store estate in late 2009 and early 2010 – a collection of sites, many of them in Scotland, that the Co-op was required to divest following its acquisition of Somerfield.

In a statement last month, Haldanes alleged that the Co-op had “materially breached key terms of the agreements it [Haldanes] and the Co-op entered into and under which it acquired the 26 stores”, and claimed that “if we had been made fully aware of the true trading picture from the outset, we would not have done the deal with the Co-op.”

Haldanes store, Belper (23 Dec 2010)

The Co-op, for its part, claimed that it had started legal proceedings first, seeking to “to recover possession of a number of the 26 stores they bought from us” following “Haldanes’ failure to pay rents owing to the Group.”

At the time, I questioned Arthur Harris about what this implied for the long-term future of the Haldanes chain, given the suggestion in his statement that trading was well below expectations. He responded:

“Haldanes is a solid and robust business with zero debts. I cannot, however, continue to fund this area of the business indefinitely out of my own pocket or from my other business which is why we are focusing our efforts on reaching a quick solution with the Co-op.”

While the Co-op stated that its own legal action had only been “made reluctantly after other avenues had been exhausted”, Harris’ statement today again claims that the Co-op has been unwilling to talk:

“We have made countless attempts to negotiate with the Co-operative Group Limited over the last nine months, all to no avail. As a result, we issued proceedings in the High Court against the Co-op on 10th May 2011. We lodged full details of these proceedings with the High Court and its solicitors yesterday (8th June 2011).

“I am absolutely distraught that it has come to this. We firmly believed that the Co-op would at least sit down with us and hear what we had to say, but they have chosen to either ignore or refuse all of our requests to meet. This has left us with nowhere else to go.”

Whatever the rights or wrongs of the dispute, the whole episode – played out through the media – has come across as unseemly, and has surely absorbed energies that would, ideally, have been invested elsewhere in the business.

Haldanes store interior (28 Apr 2011). Photograph by Bryan Roberts

With the future of the eponymous Haldanes chain looking bleak, Harris will need to turn attention to his other companies – UGO Stores Limited, Haldanes Express Limited, Bakery Products Limited (the recently acquired Woodhead Bakery business), and the overarching Haldane Retail Group Limited – all of which are “unaffected by this development and will continue to trade as normal.”

UGO store, Eston (4 May 2011)

However, just as pricing (not competitive enough) and product availability (not good enough) have been problems at Haldanes, there’s still work to do in addressing similar issues at UGO. A month ago, following my visits to the UGO stores in Eston and Hartlepool, I queried UGO’s apparent move away from the everyday low prices (EDLP) strategy that had made Netto successful, as well as the danger of poor availability undermining its pledge to offer a full weekly shop.

Fellow retail blogger, Steve Dresser, drew similar conclusions in a post yesterday, concluding that while “there is potential with the brand, the offer and the stores to do more, [the] fundamentals of product supply and price remain to be resolved in these early days.”

If nothing else, Haldanes’ difficulties underline the huge challenges faced by any new entrant to the cutthroat UK grocery market. The big players not only have established brands and store estates, but also have massive buying power, streamlined supply chains, quality store environments and generally positive customer experiences that are difficult for a newcomer to compete with.

Fresh produce in Haldanes store (28 Apr 2011). Photograph by Bryan Roberts

At the beginning, Haldanes sought to differentiate itself by sourcing 35% of its food and drink products locally, though this policy seems to have been downplayed more recently. Positioning itself as a supporter of local producers has worked brilliantly for the North West-based supermarket chain Booths, allowing it to carve a distinctive niche and a brand that stands for clearly-defined values. However, it was always likely to be a less lucrative approach for Haldanes, with a disparate geographical spread of stores, many of those in less upmarket, more price-sensitive locations.

Grocer article, November 2009

To end, it’s interesting to remind ourselves that barely eighteen months ago, in November 2009, The Grocer ran an article about three newly launched independent retailers – Haldanes, Asco and Alworths, which between them were hoping to open some 180 stores within three or four years. The reality, of course, has been far different, with the Haldanes chain now on the verge of joining the others in the great retail graveyard in the sky.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that today’s most successful independent retail chains – B&M Bargains, Heron Foods, and the like – are those that have grown steadily but quietly from humble beginnings, rather than fizzling out once the initial fanfare is over.

New Poundstretcher, Llandudno (8 Jun 2011). Photograph by Dave Roberts

Many thanks to my North Wales contact, Dave Roberts, who has sent me a photo of the former Alworths store in Llandudno being converted into a Poundstretcher.

When Poundstretcher’s purchase of 15 failed Alworths stores was announced last month, the stores in Llandudno – which was briefly seized by bailiffs in March – and Evesham were the only ones in Alworths’ 17-strong estate to miss out.

However, it seems that there’s subsequently been a change of plan in the North Wales seaside town, with new Poundstretcher signage now installed and the old Alworths branding removed from around the doors.

As Dave observes, there’s already a smallish Poundstretcher shop in nearby Upper Mostyn Street, and his assumption is that it will close once the new, larger store opens.

Upper Mostyn Street, Llandudno (25 Sep 2009)

However, there’s always a possibility that Poundstretcher will adopt a similar approach to in Swadlincote, where the converted Alworths holds all the convenience lines such as food, drink and some household goods, and the larger, established store opposite focuses on DIY, garden and furnishings.

Swadlincote's two Poundstretchers (2 Jun 2011). Photograph by Martin Jarvis

Llandudno’s ex-Woolworths site now has the slightly unusual distinction of being on its third incarnation since Woolies’ 2008 demise, with Publishers Book Clearance (complete with lost apostrophe) and Alworths both having been and gone in that time.

Former Woolworths as Publishers Book Clearance, Llandudno (25 Sep 2009)

Closing down sale at Alworths in Llandudno (4 Mar 2011). Photograph by Dave Roberts

Still, the fact that the property has stayed empty for very little time over this period is surely a positive reflection on Llandudno’s appeal as a shopping and visitor destination.

It’s heartening that even in a difficult economic climate for retailers, there are still plenty of growing businesses willing and ready to snap up the right sites in the right locations.

UPDATE, 23 June 2011: After all that, it looks like Poundstretcher ISN’T taking over the site after all – it’s reported that the landlord is doing a deal with Tesco instead.

Poundstretcher fascia, Camborne (20 Feb 2011)

Amid the gloom of Alworths’ collapse into administration last month, it seems that there’s now some good news. Retail Week is reporting that Alworths’ variety store rival, Poundstretcher, has bought 15 of the failed chain’s 17 stores.

Only the Llandudno and Evesham Alworths stores miss out – Poundstretcher already has a presence in the Welsh resort, and has recently been advertising jobs at what will presumably be a new store in the Worcestershire town.

Closing down sale at Alworths in Llandudno (4 Mar 2011). Photograph by Dave Roberts

The outcome seems like a positive result, saving the majority of Alworths’ jobs, and preventing the reappearance of empty stores on the high streets concerned. Indeed, the purchase includes several Alworths stores that had actually already closed their doors in the last few weeks.

The widely used ‘son of Woolworths’ tag reflected Alworths’ name and business model, as well as the fact that most – though not all – of its stores were former Woolies sites. Several more recent openings, including Newark, Maidenhead and Alloa, took over premises vacated following the collapse of the fashion chain Ethel Austin.

For Poundstretcher, the deal adds to the collection of ex-Woolworths stores that it has acquired already, which stretch from Scotland (North Berwick, Edinburgh) to Cornwall (Camborne) and Northern Ireland.

Former Woolworths (now Poundstretcher), North Berwick (2 May 2010)

The fact remains, of course, that Poundstretcher is itself a lossmaking business. Back in July, I remarked that Poundstretcher’s parent company had racked up total pre-tax losses of more than £33m across the previous four years, and Retail Week has subsequently argued that the chain faces an “uphill struggle” to compete against “an impressive array of apparently more sophisticated and profitable value players.”

Former Woolworths (now Poundstretcher), Camborne (20 Feb 2011)

Today, we can certainly celebrate the good news of Poundstretcher’s acquisition of Alworths. However, the really hard work will be Poundstretcher proving that its business model is still viable, relevant and – crucially – profitable.

Full list of Alworths stores acquired by Poundstretcher:

• Alloa
• Bellshill
• Cosham
• Cupar
• Didcot
• Forfar
• Hertford
• Maidenhead
• Newark
• Newhaven
• New Milton
• Swadlincote
• Tiverton
• Warminster
• Wokingham.

Former Woolworths (now WHSmith), Pinner, 1 May 2011. Photograph by Bryan Roberts

Many thanks to Bryan Roberts from Kantar Retail iQ, who let me know via Twitter that the old Woolworths in Pinner, north west London, has recently reopened as a branch of WHSmith.

Regular readers may recall that I visited Pinner nearly a year ago, when the old Woolies premises in Bridge Street were then occupied by Poundstar. Just as Poundstar made do with the existing Woolworths shopfront, it looks like WHSmith has similarly done little more – at least on the outside – than add its own signage to the current fascia.

Former Woolworths in Pinner, as Poundstar (14 May 2010)

With WHSmith’s opening, Pinner’s joins the growing number of ex-Woolies locations that are already on to their second occupant since the collapse of Woolworths in 2008. In some places – such as Warrington – this is simply the result of the original post-Woolies occupant going out of business, and another retailer coming in to fill the void.

Elsewhere, however, there are some interesting examples of discount retailers in ex-Woolies premises, more than likely on short-term leases, being replaced by (relatively) more upmarket or better-known names. Waitrose taking over the Alworths site in Amersham is an obvious example, as is Denmark Hill’s 99p Stores being replaced by Peacocks.

Is it just coincidence or local circumstances? An illustration of certain retailers’ relative success or evolving property requirements? Or perhaps a sign of confidence in the retail property market as big names target locations that they may have passed by a couple of years earlier? Whatever the reason, it’s fair to say that Pinner was reasonably quiet on the Friday morning when I visited last year, so hopefully WHSmith’s arrival provides a welcome boost to footfall in a retail centre that, arguably, was never the most obvious location for a pound shop.

One of Pinner’s charms is that it manages to combine a lovely historic centre with a reasonably strong retail and leisure offer. I knew next to nothing about the place before stepping off the train last year, but I was really impressed by the gorgeous High Street, lined with timber-framed buildings housing bars and independent shops.

High Street, Pinner (14 May 2010)

Tucked behind the High Street, there’s also an M&S Simply Food and a good-sized Sainsbury’s, both accessed via discreet archways and reasonably well integrated with the rest of the shopping centre.

Sainsbury's, Pinner (14 May 2010)

My general view is that places like Pinner benefit from having a healthy mix of big-name stores and interesting independents, allowing shoppers to meet most of their everyday needs while maintaining a retail centre that is distinctive and characterful.

Of course, not everyone subscribes to that view. Take those superstores away, and the romantic vision is that shoppers will revert to old-fashioned shopping habits, providing an automatic boost for the local butcher and greengrocer. Here in the North East, however, the example of Wallsend – a town that has been without its main supermarket for the last two years – reminds us that shoppers are just as capable of taking their business to the nearest Morrisons or Tesco down the road.

With this in mind, I was disappointed, but not surprised, to read that WHSmith’s arrival in Pinner has apparently provoked a “backlash” from local independent shopkeepers. Of course, local newspapers thrive on this kind of drama, and we shouldn’t believe everything we read in them. However, the “local indies object to big-name newcomer” story is wearily familiar, and often based on the flimsiest of premises.

Harrow Observer article about "WHSmith backlash"

The article in the Harrow Observer last month reported that “WHSmith is facing a backlash from independent traders in Pinner who fear the stationery giant will steal their customers”, and revealed that “a group of shops selling cards, stationery, books and printing services have written a joint letter to WHSmith bosses over their fears that independent shops like theirs will be undercut.”

On several counts this argument is bizarre. It ignores the fact that some of WHSmith’s ranges – such as stationery and newspapers – are items that Woolworths used to sell from that site without anyone seemingly complaining. Equally, anyone who’s recently been to a branch of Smith’s will recognise that its upmarket (or, some might say, overpriced) cards compete more with Paperchase or Clinton’s than with Card Factory or local independents.

What I find most depressing about this kind of article, however, is the apparent complacency and sense of blame among some indie retailers – the view that “we’ve been here forever, and how dare the big boys come in, undercut us, and nick our customers” – and the implication that everything revolves around price. What about celebrating independents’ potential to offer superlative customer service? Providing a friendly, personal touch and superb specialist knowledge that the big chains simply can’t match?

In the modern world of retailing, no retail business has – or should have – a God-given right to thrive. Success needs to be earnt. Unfortunately, alongside all the brilliant and innovative independent retailers out there, there are still too many that haven’t invested enough in brightening up dismal store interiors, in showcasing product effectively, or in offering more-than-perfunctory customer service. In short, these are shops that have coasted along, reliant on a relatively captive audience, and whose limitations are exposed when a big chain opens up down the road.

Instead of grumbling, Pinner’s indie retailers should therefore be seizing upon the opportunity afforded by WHSmith’s arrival.

Celebrate the fact that a major name has made an investment in your retail centre, bringing a vacated shop unit back into use.

Assuming local footfall increases, tap into this. Bring more customers into your own shop by offering the products that they want, wrapped up with a sense of theatre and top-notch customer service that makes people feel good and want to come back.

But, above all, don’t ask them at the till if they’d like to buy some cheap chocolate.

'Notice of Peaceable Re-entry' at Alworths, Llandudno (7 Mar 2011). Photograph by Dave Roberts

Following a weekend of speculation about the future of ‘son of Woolworths’ chain Alworths, events have taken a further turn today with the news that bailiffs have seized the chain’s Llandudno store.

The ‘Notice of Peaceable Re-entry’ (above – click to enlarge), photographed for Soult’s Retail View by Dave Roberts, cites the business’s “failure to pay rent due” as well as “breach of Clause 35.1 (c.111) as provided for in the lease.”

This clause, according to the notice, relates to “the giving of any notice of intention to appoint an administrator, or the filing at court of the prescribed documents in connection with the appointment of an administrator, in any case in relation to the tenant or the guarantor.” This would seem to add weight to Retail Week’s article from Friday, which broke the news of Alworths’ apparent difficulties and speculated that a pre-pack administration may be on the cards.

Closing down sale at Alworths in Llandudno (4 Mar 2011). Photograph by Dave Roberts

According to Dave, the bailiffs changed the Llandudno store’s locks, with all of Alworths’ stock and fittings still inside. Only a few days ago, at least three Alworths stores – in Alloa and Evesham, as well as Llandudno – launched closing down sales, captured by Dave (above) on Friday. It’s not yet clear whether any other stores within the 17-strong chain have been subject to re-entry proceedings today.

Whatever happens next, it’s a sad and disappointing situation for a business that had promised to replicate the best bits of Woolworths while avoiding its predecessors’ pitfalls. It’s also clearly unsettling for the chain’s hardworking staff, many of whom are ex-Woolies workers and have already been through one retail collapse.

As my 18 Alworths-tagged posts testify, I’ve been consistently supportive of what Alworths has tried to achieve, and many of its business decisions have – at least outwardly – seemed sensible.

Woolworths, for example, tended to struggle with its larger stores in bigger town and city centres, but was often a key retailer in smaller communities – those places where it was the only shop in town to sell buttons, DVDs or toys. On this basis, Alworths’ decision to open relatively compact shops (less than 10,000 sq ft) in predominantly small, market town locations appeared logical.

Equally, where Woolworths struggled under its big corporate structure and relative inability to respond to local variations, Alworths’ head office has always appeared to be a leaner, nippier operation.

The now-closed Alworths in Amersham (14 May 2010)

Perhaps most importantly, the Alworths brand seemed to be gaining recognition and popularity within the communities served by its stores – always, you might argue, one of the most powerful assets of the defunct Woolworths.

However, none of this counts for anything if the business can’t make money, and the absence of recent updates from Alworths – whether in terms of store announcements, tweets or website content – can be seen, in hindsight, as a clue to all not being well.

Closing down sale at Alworths in Llandudno (4 Mar 2011). Photograph by Dave Roberts

Over the coming days and weeks, it will no doubt become clearer whether Alworths has a future, and what form that might take. Retail Week’s article last week cited documents filed at Companies House, which showed that Alworths boss Andy Latham had resigned as a director of the company.

In turn, it reported that a new company – Retail Acquisitions, with Latham as one of its directors – had been set up, and was “expected to take control of Alworths.” However, history – such as the experiences of Vergo Retail and Ethel Austin – has showed us that former owners buying back collapsed businesses under a new name have a patchy record of success.

Understanding what has gone wrong with Alworths this time will be critical, if the same mistakes – whatever they turn out to be – are not simply to be repeated. Indeed, what makes the present episode most surprising is that Alworths’ public pronouncements have consistently suggested that the chain was trading strongly.

While Claire Robertson’s tweets give every indication that Dorchester’s Wellworths is still thriving, Alworths’ woes will raise questions over how far a ‘son of Woolworths’ formula can be resurrected at a national rather than a shop-by-shop level.

My friend and fellow retail blogger Steve Dresser, reacting on Twitter, remarked that “Woolworths failed due to it not being a practical business – Alworths was hardly going to be different.” Current events suggest that he may well be right.

UPDATE, 9 March 2011: I understand that Alworths in Llandudno is open again today, after being closed Monday and Tuesday. Presumably the unpaid rent has been sorted?

Shuttered Ethel Austin store

As variety chain Alworths celebrates its first birthday today, the opening of stores in Newark and Maidenhead has now been confirmed for later this month – and both will be in former Ethel Austin premises. 

While a rump of 90 Ethel Austin stores were saved in April, and are gradually being converted to a new ’Life & Style’ fascia, this is just a fraction of the 300 Ethel Austin shops that existed at the start of the year. Though not given anywhere near the same media attention as Woolworths, when it folded, Ethel Austin’s disappearance from the high street will nonetheless go down in history as one of the major retail collapses of this recession.

Indeed, with most Ethel Austin stores occupying secondary or small-town locations, the chain’s closure has, in many places, compounded the loss of Woolworths a year earlier, with Stockton among the shut-down Ethel Austin sites in the North East.

Former Ethel Austin, Stockton-on-Tees (28 Jun 2010)

If there’s a slight silver lining, it’s that the appearance of 200+ former Ethel Austin units on the market – just as the number of vacant Woolies dwindles – is apparently providing Alworths with a new source of potential store locations. The first, in Alloa, opened in July, and it seems unlikely that Newark and Maidenhead will be the last.

Snapping up Ethel Austin sites will allow Alworths to open up in locations where the old Woolies store is already occupied by somebody else, or even in places where there was never a Woolies in the first place, as well as conveying the important message that the retailer’s more than just a Woolies offshoot. Indeed, I was quite surprised to hear from Alworths that of the 237 members of staff that it employs, only 68 – less than a third – are ex-Woolies.

In the meantime, however, Alworths’ third confirmed opening for November – in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire – sticks to the old formula for the moment by opening up in former Woolworths premises.

Summing up Alworths’ first year, MD Andy Latham told Soult’s Retail View:

“It’s been an extremely busy 12 months. Many people questioned opening a new retail chain during very difficult economic times; however, it has proved to be a good year to launch a variety retailer into market towns.

“Local councils have welcomed us with open arms, as we’ve helped inject new life into many high streets where shops were shutting down. Landlords have been keen to do deals with us in order to fill the mounting number of empty shops, and best of all our customers have been delighted that they can buy music, DVDs, console games, home items, pic ‘n’ mix and children’s toys all in one store, on their local high street again.

“Ultimately, Alworths stores are for children and families and we go out of our way to cater for these markets. If we’re missing anything, we actively encourage our customers to tell us what we should be stocking – we don’t want to stand still and we appreciate that adapting to our customers’ needs is crucial to maintaining our presence on the high street. Over the past year the stores have exceeded our expectations – serving over 1 million customers and selling over 27,778,766 products – and we’re looking forward to trading 17 stores in the run up to Christmas, an extremely important time for us.” 

While Alworths’ long term strategy is to have a chain of 200 stores, there’s no confirmation, as yet, of the speculated about new shop in Lanark. However, the experience of the last year shows that local newspaper stories revealing potential new Alworths stores tend to have some truth in them – so expect an official announcement in the coming weeks…

New and old logos

Last week’s news that the celebrated Wellworths store, in Dorchester, is being forced to change its name by Shop Direct reignites one of the most interesting threads to emerge from Woolworths’ collapse – the battle for the good bits of Woolies’ legacy.

The gist of this latest development is that Shop Direct – who, you’ll remember, bought the Woolworths brand from the administrators following the retailer’s collapse – was apparently content for Wellworths to keep its current name, provided that the business curtailed any expansion plans.

According to Wellworths’ statement, Shop Direct “initially supported the opening of the former Woolworths store in Dorchester as Wellworths, but then sought an agreement which would place limits on the growth of the business under the Wellworths name.”

It continues: “Regretfully, rather than accept those limits, Wellworths have decided to replace the Wellworths name with Wellchester over the course of the next two years.”

Wellworths store in Dorchester. Photograph by Nigel Mykura

Inevitably, the ‘well worth the money’ tagline will have to go too, with trade mark details on the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) website suggesting that it will be replaced with (the admittedly rather bland) ‘something for everyone.’ If one is being critical, it’s also fair to ask whether Wellchester – a name so obviously associated with the retailer’s place of origin – is the best brand for rolling out to other parts of the country. Still, the fact that the new name can still be abbreviated to ‘Wellies’ was surely part of the thinking behind it.

Screenshot of Shop Direct's Woolworths.co.uk site (2 Nov 2010)

No-one disputes that Shop Direct, like any other business, is entitled to protect its brand – but at what price? Time will tell whether the benefits of its actions outweigh what seems to be the overwhelmingly negative reaction from both the media and the public.

Writing on Twitter, for example, the editor of industry bible Retail Week remarked that “Shop Direct are idiots for making Wellworths change its name”, describing the move as “astonishingly petty.” His colleague, George MacDonald, agreed, branding the move “heavy-handed.”

Other Twitterers, such as dorset_flickr, voiced similar views, remarking how it was “interesting that such [a] big company feels so threatened by [a] name that isn’t [the] same – obviously Wellworths could go places.” Comments about Shop Direct’s actions on the Dorset Echo website have been similarly uncharitable, with the words “petty” and “heavy-handed” consistently used.

All this reaction matters, because these are the same people who will determine the success – or not – of Shop Direct’s own Woolworths.co.uk operation. Merely owning the Woolies name isn’t enough – Shop Direct needs to understand the heritage of the brand that it’s acquired, and to harness the goodwill that used to be associated with that name. Without that magic, the business is just Littlewoods with a different label.

Alworths fascia

Perhaps the nub of the issue is that Wellworths and the other fledgling ‘son of Woolies’ enterprises, such as Alworths and Smallworths, seem to have understand what people most liked about Woolies, and have embraced those cherished values of friendliness, warmth and convenience on the high street – values, indeed, that are challenging to replicate in an entirely online operation, however much pic ‘n’ mix you’re able to send out by City Link.

Instead of Shop Direct fighting battles for Woolies’ legacy – and Alworths MD, Andy Latham, is understandably coy about what the Wellworths decision might mean for his own chain – it could do worse than learn from the successes of its not-quite-namesakes.

Thank you to Nigel Mykura for the use of the photograph of Wellworths, which is © Copyright Nigel Mykura and licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons Licence.

Former Woolworths, Coalville (24 Aug 2010)

Regular readers of Soult’s Retail View will know that I have something of a penchant for visiting lots of old Woolworths stores in a short time, usually – for better or worse – by bus.

Back in August, I took the opportunity to undertake another such jaunt, bringing in 11 former Woolies sites in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire.

Of those, four are sites that Woolies occupied, and vacated, way before its collapse into administration. Of the other seven, it’s notable that only one showed no sign of being taken over by another retailer.

Side of former Woolworths, Tamworth (24 Aug 2010)

My journey started in Tamworth, where the old Woolworths store (#508) – now Home Bargains – has featured in this blog several times before. Given that the shop’s frontage was obscured, inevitably, by tatty market stalls, I thought I’d vary things a little by taking a shot of the store from the side.

Looking down College Lane towards George Street, the image shows the corner site where Tamworth’s Woolies began, with the company acquiring the premises of William Facey’s furniture store in 1933. It was only in 1968-70 that the property took the form that we see today, the original store redeveloped along with adjoining properties that Woolworths had acquired.

Former Woolworths, Atherstone (24 Aug 2010)

Next stop was the attractive Warwickshire market town of Atherstone, where the Woolworths store in Long Street closed down many years before the chain’s eventual collapse. The store’s number in the Woolies pecking order (#661) suggests that it opened in 1936, and the design certainly fits with that period. Now occupied by Atherstone Carpets, the building is still completely recognisable as an old Woolies, even if the later addition of a pitched roof has rather unbalanced its architectural quality. Note the building’s similarity, for example, to that of the contemporaneous Alfreton store (#684).

Former Woolworths (now TJ Hughes), Nuneaton (24 Aug 2010)

A few miles down the road, the 24,000 sq ft former Woolies site in Nuneaton (#227) – facing Queens Road but also attached to the Ropewalk Shopping Centre – was in the process of being refurbished by TJ Hughes, ahead of its opening in October.

Original Woolworths (now Superdrug), Nuneaton (24 Aug 2010)

However, the town’s original Woolworths building is a little further down the street, facing the Market Square, and is now occupied by Superdrug. In fact, Nuneaton’s Woolies occupied that site for almost forty years, opening on 31 July 1926 before relocating to the new site on 5 June 1964. Incidentally, the imposing property with the gable next door – currently housing Eastex and Dash – also has some historical significance retail-wise, as the town’s original Boots store.

Former Woolworths (now B&M Bargains) Hinckley (24 Aug 2010)

No jaunt in search of old Woolies is complete without a store that has been taken over by B&M Bargains, and the Leicestershire town of Hinckley was able to oblige in this case. As is usual with the former Woolworths sites that B&M Bargains has taken over, the existing shopfront of the Castle Street store – in the distinctive 1960s Woolies style – has been retained. Though a Woolworths store had occupied that site since 1934 (store #542), the building itself has obviously undergone significant redevelopment over the years.

Former Woolworths, Haymarket, Leicester (24 Aug 2010)

By the time Woolworths collapsed, the chain had already exited Leicester city centre, having sold their Humberstone Gate / Haymarket site (#1141) – opened in 1986 – in 2006. That property, if I’ve identified it correctly, is now occupied in part by Currys and Peacocks.

Original Woolworths location (now Bhs), Leicester (24 Aug 2010)

However, the original Woolworths in Leicester city centre was around the corner in Gallowtree Gate. That store (#49) opened in June 1915, was redeveloped in 1965, and was sold to Bhs in the early 1980s.

Old postcard showing the same store prior to redevelopment

The store in that location has some personal significance, in that my maternal grandmother, Emmie Hunter (née Emmie Harley), worked there for six years from 1933 (aged 18) to 1939, when the store would have looked much as it does in the old postcard above. I understand that she worked as a shop assistant, in various departments, but particularly enjoyed working in the equivalent of today’s entertainment section – the sheet music counter.

Former Woolworths, Coalville (24 Aug 2010)

A few miles from Leicester, Coalville’s Woolies in Belvoir Road (#474) was still empty (and as far as I’m aware remains so), though a sign claimed that the premises were ‘under offer’. Purportedly covering over 24,000 sq ft, the property is evidently much larger than it appears from the frontage, and it will be interesting to see who the new occupant is, if and when they ever arrive. With the nearby Belvoir Shopping Centre apparently set for redevelopment^{[broken link removed]}, it’s always possible that the new tenant could be a relocation from there.

Former Woolworths (now Costa), Ashby-de-la-Zouch (24 Aug 2010)

A few miles away, Ashby-de-la-Zouch is quite like Atherstone in being a highly appealing market town where most of its shops are strung out along one long street. Unlike Atherstone, however, Ashby managed to hang on to its Woolies (#624) – opened in what looks like an existing building, in Market Street, in 1935 – until the end.

As old Woolworths premises go, Ashby’s is quite unusual in being taken over not by another retailer but by Costa, the coffee shop chain, which opened there earlier this year. Covering just 2,000 sq ft, however, the small size of the ground floor sales area rather limits the options.

Former Woolworths (now Alworths), Swadlincote (24 Aug 2010)

Over the border into Derbyshire, Swadlincote offered a sense of déjà vu with its prominent ‘Tamworth Co-op’ branded store. Further along the High Street, however, the old Woolies (#567) was being fitted out ready for Alworths to open up on 8 September. Rather like the store in Alfreton, the property is a slightly incongruous amalgamation of two separate buildings, the original purpose-built Woolies evidently having been extended at some point into the shop next door.

Former Woolworths (now Alworths), Swadlincote (24 Aug 2010)

As the shot above shows, work was well progressed, with all the shelving in place and me captured for posterity on the already-installed CCTV, but without any Alworths signage as yet. Though it was nearly 6pm by this time, a workman was still on site and told me that stocking and staff training was due to start on 25 August, the day after my visit. 

Swadlincote was intended to my last Woolies stop ahead of catching the train back from Burton upon Trent to Tamworth, having already photographed Burton’s Woolies in Coopers Square the last time I embarked upon a tour of the Midlands.

Rear of former Woolworths, Burton (24 Aug 2010)

As it happens, however, the bus from Swadlincote dropped me off outside the service entrance of the old Burton Woolworths (#147), where I was fascinated to spot a very old ‘Woolworth’ sign – in the singular, rather than the more usual plural. Officially, the retailer referred to itself as Woolworth (or F W Woolworth) for much of its lifetime, with the chain only being branded as Woolworths (in the plural) from the mid 1980s onwards. This means that the sign remaining at Burton probably dates from when the store first opened on that site, in 1982, taking over a unit that had previously been Sainsbury’s.

Just like the archaic WHSmith logo that I happened upon in Redcar, it’s an interesting example of a retailer rebranding but forgetting – or just not bothering – to update the logo ‘round the back’. However, it’s also the kind of unexpected retail detail that makes visits like this one rather fun.

Fancy a job at Alworths?

‘Son of Woolies’ chain Alworths has had a quiet spell since opening a flurry of stores (in Llandudno, Newhaven and Hertford) at the end of the summer, but an Independent interview with MD Andy Latham last week suggested that there would be “a further five ribbon-cutting ceremonies… before Christmas.”

We now have a good idea of where four of those are likely to be. Alworths’ own recruitment website is advertising jobs at new stores in Newark, in Nottinghamshire, and in the Berkshire town of Maidenhead (screenshot above). Meanwhile, local news websites have suggested that two more Scottish stores – in Lanark and Bellshill – could be in the offing too.

Alworths fascia

While the prospective Lanark and Bellshill stores are both vacant former Woolworths sites, neither Newark nor Maidenhead is likely to be. Maidenhead’s old Woolies is now Wilkinson, while the history of Woolies in Newark is a little more complex.

I understand that Newark’s in-town Woolies, in Stodman Street, had closed down even before the chain’s collapse, with business moving to a much larger site on the Northgate Retail Park. While the old town centre Woolies site now houses Dorothy Perkins and Superdrug, the out-of-town site was set to be divided up into smaller units – but, at 8,000 to 10,000 sq ft, still a little on the large size for an Alworths, even if the retailer were interested in out-of-town locations (which it appears not to be).

Former Newark out-of-town Woolworths. Photograph by David Lally

To date, the Alworths in Alloa, Clackmannanshire and the relocated Didcot shop are the only ones of the retailer’s 14 stores not to be located within former Woolworths premises. However, with only about 150 Woolies sites left, and Alworths now planning a chain of up to 200 shops, it’s inevitable that non-Woolies locations will begin to account for a growing proportion of the expanding store estate. 

Thank you to David Lally for the shot of the out-of-town Woolworths in Newark, which is © Copyright David Lally, and licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons Licence.

Former Woolworths and new Alworths site, Newhaven (17 Mar 2010). Photograph by Paul Gillett

The BT Phone Book is now listing an Alworths store at 14 High Street in Newhaven, East Sussex – the town’s former Woolworths unit. 

There is no further confirmation as yet, but the store looks set to be the retailer’s 14th, following the upcoming openings of new shops in Llandudno (13 August), Tiverton (27 August) and Hertford (date TBC). 

Meanwhile, Alworths’ original store – opened less than a year ago in Didcot – is set to downsize from its current site in the town’s Orchard Centre to a smaller shop nearby, understood to be the former Bathstore unit. Currys will take over the existing Alworths site. 

At about 10,000 sq ft, Didcot has always been Alworths’ largest store, and the move will bring it more into line with the smaller, 5,000 sq ft units that the retailer has been acquiring of late – and continues to seek. 

Thank you to Paul Gillett for the shot of Woolworths in Newhaven, which is © Copyright Paul Gillett, and licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons Licence.

Former Woolworths in Llandudno (25 Sep 2009)

Well, that’s a coincidence. Having blogged about the former Woolworths in Llandudno just a couple of days ago, Alworths has announced today that it will be taking over the site for its 11th store – and its first in Wales.

Having been occupied by a discount book store (Publishers Book Clearance) from April last year until just a few days ago, the Mostyn Street premises will reopen as Alworths on 13 August – earlier, it would seem, than the unofficially revealed new Alworths stores in Hertford and Tiverton.

Former Woolworths and Publishers Book Clearance, Llandudno (25 Sep 2009)

I’ve made a bit of a habit lately of rumbling Alworths’ store plans ahead of the official announcements – probably to the despair of the lovely PR people ^{[broken link removed]} - so all credit to MD Andy Latham and his team for getting one over me with this latest news!

The only whiff I got ahead of time was somebody finding Soult’s Retail View yesterday via a search for ‘Alworths Llandudno’ (which naturally piqued my curiosity), coupled with an awareness that the Llandudno site was now vacant again.

Pound-Mart's Cupar store (now Alworths), prior to closure. Photograph courtesy of Pound-Mart

Interestingly, just like the new Llandudno shop, several of the latest Alworths stores occupy former Woolies units that have temporarily housed other retailers – including those in Forfar and Cupar (previously Pound-Mart), and Hertford (formerly Well Worth It). As well as monitoring the BT Phone Book, it seems I need to keep an eye out for ‘end of lease’ sales as a possible sign of an impending Alworths.

Heading to Llandudno (20 Sep 2009)

Talking about the Llandudno outlet, Andy Latham rightly flags up that it will be Alworths’ “first coastal store”, and that Alworths will therefore “tailor the ranges accordingly”. In addition to the usual Alworths ranges, “holiday essentials and a range of beach toys” are promised during peak summer months.

Llandudno from the Great Orme (20 Sep 2009)

This sounds like a canny move – after all, Llandudno is a vibrant and highly attractive seaside resort, that still attracts a great many holidaymakers to enjoy the Great Orme Tramway, the Haulfre Gardens, and the town’s impressive pier. The top end of Mostyn Street has reportedly suffered from the loss of Woolworths, so a store that caters equally for both locals and visitors may be just what’s needed to perk things up again.

Empty unit in Llandudno's Mostyn Street (25 Sep 2009)

Just as Alworths’ press release for the Alloa store was interesting in flagging up its plans to open a further seven stores in Scotland “over time”, the Llandudno announcement reveals ambitious plans for Wales too. Latham reveals that the fledgling chain is “looking at a variety of other sites in both North and South Wales and we are looking to open a minimum of five more Alworths stores in Wales over the next year.”

This inevitably raises the question of where in Wales Alworths might open up next. As we know, many of the old Woolies sites have been snapped up already, including several – among them Barmouth, Cardigan, Chepstow, Porthmadog and Pwllheli – by The Original Factory Shop, a retailer with a product mix not too dissimilar to that of Alworths.

Of the three vacant Woolies sites in Wales that I blogged about a couple of days ago – in Caernarfon, Holyhead and Colwyn Bay – the former would seem the most likely potential location for an Alworths. Colwyn Bay, in contrast, has quite a bit of competition already, including Home Bargains, Instore and Argos in the buzzing Bayview Shopping Centre, and the planned branch of The Original Factory Shop that I mentioned in my earlier post.

When I first blogged about Holyhead back in November, I remarked that it was “just the kind of place where the closure of Woolies has left a really big hole.” I continued: “Though there is a Wilkinson on one of the out-of-town retail parks, I couldn’t spot any department store or good quality variety store in the town centre – just the type of gap that a store like Alworths could hopefully fill in the future.”

With Alworths now making its presence felt in North Wales, we’ll have to wait and see whether Holyhead is indeed part of its future plans.

Alworths fascia

Following on from my blog post about Alworths opening in the Clackmannanshire town of Alloa, it has now been confirmed that the new store will open this week, on Wednesday 21 July. The site, at 49 Shillinghill, was occupied by Ethel Austin, prior to that retailer’s collapse earlier this year. 

Quoting the MD Andy Latham, Alworths’ press release about the store opening highlights the point made in my earlier blog about it being the first store in the chain not to be located in an ex-Woolworths site: 

“Opening our tenth store will be a significant milestone for us. We’ve always maintained that we were not limiting our store search to just ex-Woolies sites… Our priority, as always, is to find good sites in traditional market towns and to be a local department store on the high street.” 

Like the nine other Alworths stores to date, the Alloa shop will stock “a mix of branded toys, sweets, homeware, stationery, entertainment products, seasonal goods and garden items”, as well as offering “a large selection of pic ‘n’ mix along with party accessories, cards and wrap.”

Alworths in Amersham (14 May 2010)

Given a blank canvas rather than the shell of a former Woolies, it will be interesting to see how the interior of the Alloa Alworths turn out.

This picks up on the point I made in my earlier review of the Amersham store, following my visit back in May, when I remarked that “as the Alworths chain expands further – and particularly if it starts taking over shops that were not formerly Woolworths – it will be interesting to see how it develops its own, more confident store interior style.”

The Alloa store now gives Alworths that opportunity to do something different and distinctive with its shopfit, defining it as a modern retailer with its own identity and vision, rather than one that some might perceive as harking back to the past.  

The news release also confirms Alworths’ plans to open a further seven stores in Scotland “over time”, and its intention to have 22 sites across the UK by the end of 2010. With the chain set to have ten stores by the end of July, it suggests that new shops will be opening at the rate of two or three a month for the rest of the year – a  similar rate of expansion, in fact, to when Woolworths was at the height of its growth in the 1920s.

We already know where the 11th store will be, and have a strong hint as to the location of the 12th. The arrival of a new Alworths in Hertford was reported a few days ago in the local press, with the customary job ad on the Peopletime website giving an opening date of August. The store will occupy the former Woolworths in Maidenhead Street – pictured here in happier times – which until this month housed a Well Worth It store. The latter is apparently moving to the nearby town of Hoddesdon instead, but is not, as far as I can tell, any relation to the Wallsend shop of the same name.

Former Woolworths, Tiverton (22 June 2009). Photograph by Lewis Clarke

Though there is no official confirmation yet, the 12th Alworths will, reportedly, be in Tiverton in Devon. Many thanks to the eagle-eyed John, who let me know that “according to the BT Phone Book, [Alworths] have had the telephone put on at the old Woolworths premises in Fore St, Tiverton, Devon.”

Alworths Tiverton - revealed via the Phone Book

Sure enough, a quick search of BT’s online Phone Book brings up details of the yet-to-be-announced Tiverton store. Presumably, however, no-one will be there to answer the phone for a few weeks yet…

Thank you to Lewis Clarke for the shot of Woolworths in Tiverton, which is © Copyright Lewis Clarke, and licensed for re-use under the Creative Commons Licence.

Alworths fascia

Just a week after its first two Scottish stores opened in Forfar and Cupar, the variety store chain Alworths is now “recruiting for enthusiastic, customer focussed individuals to work at its newest store opening in Alloa in July 2010.” 

Alloa, in Clackmannanshire, is exactly the type of location that we are getting used to Alworths opening stores in – a small town of less than 20,000 people, with a pleasing, compact centre. However, given that Alloa’s former Woolworths was snapped up by Poundland over a year ago, it appears that Alloa’s new Alworths – the retailer’s tenth shop in all – will be the first to open in premises that were not previously a Woolworths store. [UPDATE, 28 June 2010: I now understand that Alworths will be taking over Alloa's former Ethel Austin site.]

This move is both significant and inevitable. The dwindling pool of vacant Woolies stores in half-decent and suitable locations has always meant that Alworths would, before long, need to cast its property net wider if it is to grow. More importantly, perhaps, doing so is also likely to benefit the brand, by helping Alworths to build a distinctive and modern identity that isn’t just based on bringing former Woolworths sites back to life. 

The lack of appropriate former Woolworths sites may well be one reason for Alworths not yet making it to the North East, and I understand that there are no imminent plans for the retailer to open stores in this region. However, I’m told that the chain is continuing to scout for suitable locations across the country, and that there would be no bar to opening North East shops if the right premises in the right locations could be found. 

Meanwhile, another recently launched retail chain – the supermarket Haldanes – appears to be having some difficulties in finding, and sustaining, the right store locations. 

Launched at