Former Woolworths (now The Original Factory Shop), Chepstow (24 Mar 2011). Photograph by Alastair Leaver

Back in February I featured a batch of readers’ ex-Woolies pics, showcasing the former stores in Warrington (now Poundland), Batley (JBM Bargains) and Beverley (Boots). For its sins, Soult’s Retail View seems to have prompted people across the country to start photographing Woolworths sites, not just in this country but also further afield. So, here’s another trio of Woolies stores for you…

First up is the ex-Woolies in the Monmouthshire market town of Chepstow, which Alastair Leaver captured while visiting there a couple of weeks ago. Like quite a few other former Woolies in Wales – such as those in Porthmadog and Caernarvon – the site has been taken over by the expanding discount department store, The Original Factory Shop. As seems to be customary for that retailer, only minimal changes have been made to the property, with the recognisable Woolies shopfront still in place.

Former Woolworths (now The Original Factory Shop), Chepstow (24 Mar 2011). Photograph by Alastair Leaver

Just like its competitor B&M Bargains, The Original Factory Shop’s ability to reoccupy ex-Woolies sites with minimal fuss seems to work in its favour. The retailer reported a sales uplift of 23% in the six weeks preceding Christmas 2010, with a healthy like-for-likes uplift of 5%, and has plans to open another 35 stores during 2011.

In an uncertain economy, it’s hard to dispute that the retail industry is having a choppy time, with several new administrations – including Officers Club and Oddbins – in just the last week. It’s heartening, however, to see retailers such as The Original Factory Shop not just weathering the storm but really capitalising upon the opportunities left by others businesses’ weakness.

Former Woolworths (now B&M Bargains), Burton upon Trent (13 Mar 2011). Photograph by Martin Jarvis

B&M Bargains is another successful discount retailer doing just that. The 30,000 sq ft Gateshead flagship that I blogged about on April Fools Day may – for now – just be a flight of fancy, but I’ve regularly written about, and commended, the retailer’s ability to transform old Woolies into B&M stores in just a matter of days.

As I wrote in February, the old Burton upon Trent Woolworths, in the Coopers Square shopping centre, is one such location that B&M has recently taken over, with its new store opening there last month. Regular Midlands contributor Martin Jarvis kindly braved Coopers Square security to snap these shots of the busy B&M store.

Former Woolworths (now B&M Bargains), Burton upon Trent (13 Mar 2011). Photograph by Martin Jarvis

Expanding from 67 stores in mid-2008 to 197 two years later, B&M’s recent growth has been remarkable, much of it the result of snapping up former Woolies sites. However, as the stock of suitable ex-Woolies locations shrinks to a trickle, B&M’s presence on both high streets and retail parks gives it plenty of options – scope to continue expanding organically, while also making the occasional acquisition, such as last year’s Opus Homewares.

As in the paragraph above, I’ve had to develop quite a vocabulary for referring to the fact that Britain’s Woolworths is defunct, bringing out all the qualifiers such as ’ex’, ‘former’ and ‘collapsed’. However, the complicated history and fragmented legacy of the original, American F W Woolworth business means that there are still some places where ‘Woolworths’ stores are very much alive.

One such place is Germany, where reader Chris Exall captured a nighttime phone pic of this Woolworth-branded store, in the Bavarian town of Freising.

Woolworth, Freising, Germany (17 Jan 2011). Photograph by Chris Exall

Of course, Woolworth GmbH – the present-day chain of Woolworths stores in Germany and Austria – has nothing to do with its collapsed British namesake, though there is an element of shared history. Both are spin-offs from the American parent, the UK business having split off in 1982 and the German one as recently as 1998.

Given this heritage, its not surprising that the German business offers a vaguely familiar product mix – including stationery, homewares, toys and seasonal goods – though it also sells men’s and women’s clothing, ranges that the UK chain jettisoned back in the 1980s.

Ironically, Woolworths Germany itself filed for bankruptcy in April 2009, just a few months after the collapse of the UK chain, but the story has a happier outcome. In July last year, new investors saved the brand and around half the stores, resulting in a truncated chain of 158 ‘small department stores’, and there are ambitious plans to grow the business back up to 500 shops of between 10,000 and 20,000 sq ft each.

Germany’s Woolworths may not be quite the same Woolies as shoppers in Britain recall with such fondness. However, it’s pleasing to know that there’s at least one place in the world where high street Woolies shops not only live on, but are seen as having an exciting – and viable – future that celebrates and builds upon the business’s “proud tradition”.

The iconic Tyne Bridge

The retail hearts of Newcastle and Gateshead are set to be connected by a new £200m shopping mall, running the length of the iconic Tyne Bridge.

The scheme will involve building a new modern steel and glass structure underneath the existing road deck, providing a covered mall route between the Newcastle and Gateshead sides, and affording panoramic views over the existing developments at Newcastle Quayside and Gateshead Quays.

The project is also set to bring the historic Tyne Bridge towers into use for the first time since they were built, as intended five-storey warehouses, in the 1920s. Talks are underway to attract upmarket department store Harvey Nichols to the tower on the Newcastle side, while the Gateshead tower looks set to house a 30,000 sq ft branch of B&M Bargains, making it the expanding discount chain’s largest store to date.

One of the Tyne Bridge towers

The proposed development – to be known as The Bridges – seeks to address the age-old issue of how to link the twin centres of Newcastle-Gateshead.

By filling in the missing link between the centres, the scheme will create a 1.5-mile-long retail and leisure thoroughfare stretching from Newcastle’s Northumberland Street to Gateshead High Street, and connecting the planned retail-led regeneration of Aldersgate’s East Pilgrim Street site in Newcastle with Spenhill’s Trinity Square redevelopment in Gateshead.

Speaking exclusively to Soult’s Retail View, one local property consultant described the scheme as “visionary”, claiming that the new bus-lined boulevard will become “Newcastle-Gateshead’s answer to Barcelona’s Las Ramblas.”

The topography of the Tyne Gorge means that there will be level access to the new mall on both banks of the river, as well as lifts and escalators connecting it to the existing pedestrian routes over the Tyne Bridge. Inside the mall, the developers are promising to sign up designer fashion stores, upmarket restaurants, and at least two branches of Greggs.

Stottie anyone?

Sara Pilfloody from developers RIALP told Soult’s Retail View:

“A decade ago, the successful Grainger Town Project gave Newcastle the Bond Street of the North, anchored by TJ Hughes, Subway and Xmas Box.

“Now, The Bridges is set to be Newcastle-Gateshead’s answer to St Pancras International, transforming a neglected part of the city, opening new pedestrian routes, and bringing in high-end designer names. We are also planning the longest champagne bar in Europe, stretching the full 389m of the Tyne Bridge.”

However, Pilfloody rejected suggestions that the new mall’s name is too similar to the existing Bridges Shopping Centre in Sunderland:

“I don’t think it will cause any confusion at all. After all, our mall is actually going to be a bridge, which of course Sunderland’s shopping centre isn’t. Also, we commissioned market research which revealed that Newcastle residents are generally unlikely to shop in Sunderland, especially – surprisingly – on Saturday afternoons.”

Not this Bridges

The developers hope to submit planning applications to Newcastle and Gateshead Councils later this year, with work set to begin in late 2012. Given the challenges of the elevated site, construction work is expected to take up to eight years, ensuring that the scheme will be completed in advance of Gateshead’s new town centre Tesco.

The plans for the exciting scheme will go on show to the public today (1 April), with an open-air exhibition on the Newcastle Quayside. The exhibition will be located beneath the deck of the Tyne Bridge, next to the kittiwake nest site.

Visitors are advised to wear wide-brimmed and waterproof headgear, and to check their calendar.

Former Woolworths, Rhyl (27 Feb 2011). Photograph by Dave Roberts

While Llandudno mulls the loss of its Alworths, the former Woolworths in nearby Rhyl is trying to make an unexpected comeback.

As captured by Dave Roberts, above, part of the B&M Bargains sign has fallen off, exposing the old Woolworths signage underneath.

Perhaps the store’s High Street frontage is taking a leaf out of the West Parade side (below), where I noted the still-present Woolworths signage when I visited eighteen months ago.

Former Woolworths, Rhyl (25 Sep 2009)

As my George Rye example from August 2009 showed, fallen-off signs are often fun in revealing little bits of retail history that might otherwise be forgotten. In this particular case, the exposed Woolies sign also reminds us of why B&M is succeeding where Woolies failed – by minimising its costs, and doing as little as necessary to get its new stores open and trading in record time.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to invest in some stronger adhesive…

B&M fascia

Many thanks to Lee Dymond and Martin, who both emailed me about the news of B&M Bargains opening in the former Woolworths store in Burton, Staffordshire. As I mentioned last month, the 11,000 sq ft Coopers Square unit has remained empty since Woolworths’ closure more than two years ago, but this has always seemed surprising given the shop’s busy location in a relatively modern indoor mall environment.

The news merely reinforces B&M’s status as one of the real profiters from Woolworths’ collapse, having snapped up tens of ex-Woolies stores across the country, including the one in nearby Lichfield.

Former Woolworths (now B&M Bargains), Lichfield (30 Sep 2010)

In the North East too, B&M has been rapidly expanding its presence by mopping up space that would never normally have become available, including large units in Stockton town centre, Whitley Bay and Chester-le-Street and, most recently, a portion of the old Big W at Portrack Lane.

B&M Bargains (former Woolworths), Chester-le-Street (24 Jan 2011)

Back in August, The Local Data Company suggested that 150 ex-Woolworths stores “may never be used as shops again” – a figure that, if true, would equate to almost one fifth of the former Woolies store estate.

I’ve always been slightly sceptical of these pessimistic projections, particularly given that my own research shows that 88% (45) of the 51 ex-Woolies sites across the North East, Cumbria and North Yorkshire have already been reoccupied for retail use.

Though the initial flood of new occupants for ex-Woolies sites has inevitably dwindled as the number of available sites reduces, B&M’s takeover of the Burton unit shows that demand has not yet dried up. Indeed, news reports from across the UK over the last few weeks show other discount retailers still on the ex-Woolies acquisition trail, such as The Original Factory Shop in Bargoed and the son-of-Ethel-Austin chain Life & Style in Swansea.

Former Woolworths, Clayton Street, Newcastle (27 Sep 2009)

Of the six former Woolies locations that remain empty in the North East, four – Peterlee, Wallsend, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough – already have a B&M store in the town centre or on a nearby retail park. However, with B&M Bargains not yet having a presence in Newcastle city centre, it wouldn’t surprise me if the vacant Clayton Street Woolies site was a target for the retailer in the coming months.

Despite the nearby extension of Eldon Square, and the recent arrival of some interesting independent shops and restaurants, Clayton Street remains very much a secondary, discount-led location, with Poundstretcher, charity shops, nail bars and the ubiquitous BrightHouse among its main draws.

With its in-your-face signage and minimal shop makeovers, B&M Bargains is not everyone’s first choice as a Woolies replacement. However, no-one can dispute the business’s recent success, and it’s certainly time for something to liven up a stretch of Clayton Street that has been empty and lifeless for far too long.

Former Woolworths (now Sports Direct), Stafford (30 Sep 2010)

The more former Woolworths stores I blog about, the more predictable it gets that I’ll be mentioning now-familiar discount names such as B&M Bargains, Home Bargains, Poundland or Sports Direct. 

Previously in Staffordshire, I’ve reported on the new occupants of Tamworth’s old Woolworths stores in the town centre (now Home Bargains) and at Ventura Park, and twice visited the old Woolies in Burton’s Cooper’s Square mall – still empty when I returned last month.  

Old Market Hall, Rugeley (30 Sep 2010)

Back in September I was able to mop up a few more old Woolworths stores in Staffordshire, kicking off with the historic market town of Rugeley. Despite spending my childhood in Tamworth, barely 15 miles away, I’d never paid a proper visit to Rugeley before. Though the dreary bus station barely leaves a good initial impression, Rugeley’s compact town centre is quite pleasant, with more interesting buildings – including the gorgeous old Market Hall – than you might expect. 

Former Woolworths (now Peacocks), Rugeley (30 Sep 2010)

Rugeley’s old Woolworths in Lower Brook Street (store #586) – pictured here in its former guise - is right at the heart of the town centre, and has been occupied by the fashion retailer Peacocks since early last year. 

Up the road, shopping in the county town of Stafford is centred around the attractive, pedestrianised Gaolgate Street, where I was pleased to see a Co-op department store still going strong. 

Co-op department store, Stafford (30 Sep 2010)

Stafford’s Co-op is owned by the Midlands Co-operative Society, which is now the second largest retail Co-op in the country (after the Co-operative Group), and has maintained a significant non-food operation at the same time as other co-ops have closed down all their department stores. 

The Stafford store’s viability is surely helped by its prominent location, a ‘Stafford Department Store’ brand that cannily emphasises its localness (seemingly a Midland’s Co-op trait, as I noted previously that the Coalville store adopts a similar approach), and the absence of any department store competition in the town. 

Though the nearby indoor mall – the Guildhall Shopping Centre – hosts more than 40 shops, I was struck by its curious lack of a major anchor store, the nearest thing being the large but oddly laid-out JJB store on the first floor. I know Debenhams is perhaps becoming too ubiquitous across the UK, but the Guildhall did feel to me like a shopping centre missing a Debenhams. 

Former Woolworths (now Sports Direct), Stafford (30 Sep 2010)

At the other end of the town, the open-air Gaolgate Place shopping precinct is very much based around a discount offer, and this is where Stafford’s former Woolworths (store #320) can be found. Sports Direct is the new occupant, though only on a short lease judging from the seemingly temporary signs stuck over the original Woolworths ones.

Market Place, Cannock (30 Sep 2010)

The nearby town of Cannock was another place that I’d never visited before. Though the part-covered Cannock Shopping Centre lacks character, I liked the busy and appealing Market Place, which had the feel of being the town’s real heart.

Former Woolworths (now Poundland), Cannock (30 Sep 2010)

Facing the Market Place, Cannock’s old Woolies (store #609) is yet another site that has been picked up by Poundland. As in Scarborough, it seems that not everyone was happy about Poundland taking over one of the town’s largest units, though the one million sales registered in the shop’s first three months would seem to tell a different story.

Rear of former Woolworths (now Poundland), Cannock (30 Sep 2010)

I previously mentioned Lichfield when the URL for Newcastle’s Monument Mall shopping centre was erroneously pointing at the site for Lichfield’s Three Spires. I’ve been to Lichfield many times before, and its very attractive city centre – packed with quaint streets and lovely buildings – always makes for an enjoyable visit.

Former Woolworths (now B&M Bargains), Lichfield (30 Sep 2010)

Unfortunately, Lichfield’s old Woolworths store (#376) is not one of the city centre’s most attractive buildings, but the arrival of B&M Bargains in 2009 at least ensured that it wasn’t empty for very long.

Rear of former Woolworths (now B&M Bargains), Lichfield (19 Mar 2010)

The more modern Three Spires shopping centre houses Lichfield’s only department store, TJ Hughes, though the city is set to gain a Debenhams if the delayed Friarsgate development ever gets off the ground. The latest design changes to the £100m scheme – reflecting the “changing market conditions” – are set to go on show to the public later this month, which perhaps bodes well for work finally getting underway before the current expiration of the planning consent in December next year.

In the coming months, any movement on mothballed retailed schemes such as Friarsgate will certainly be an important indicator of whether – and how quickly – the economy and the commercial property market is recovering after its last couple of years in the doldrums.

Graham filming with the BBC's Chris Jackson in Stockton High Street

Those of you in the North East and Cumbria (or anywhere else with access to Freesat), may be interested in watching BBC1 at 7.30 pm tonight (Monday 6 December)! [UPDATE: The programme is now available to watch on iPlayer.]

The regional Inside Out programme includes an interview with me as part of a feature on the state of the North East’s high streets; coincidentally, the programme also has a report (not involving me) on the transformation of Robbs of Hexham, under the new ownership of Beales.

Hexham's transformed Robbs store (4 Dec 2010)

The high street theme is running across all the regional editions of Inside Out this week – in the BBC South version, for example, Claire Robertson from Wellworths is making an appearance, talking about Dorchester’s success in maintaining a very low number of empty shops. 

The programmes’ timing deliberately coincides with the release of new research into empty shop rates that the BBC commissioned from the Local Data Company, as well as with the impending second anniversary of Woolworths’ demise – hence the BBC asking me if I’d be willing to be involved.

B&M Bargains, on the site of Stockton's old Woolworths (22 Nov 2010)

I had a really enjoyable and interesting day filming with the BBC in Stockton and Hartlepool – happily just before all the current snow and ice kicked in. The reason for filming in Stockton was its dubious honour of having nearly 30% of its town centre shops empty – one of the highest proportions of any of the 500 town centres covered by the LDC survey. My job was to provide some insight into why Stockton has such a high vacancy rate – building on my August blog post on that topic – as well as commenting on the success of those discount retailers, like B&M Bargains in Stockton, that have taken over old Woolies sites across the region.

Stockton High Street (17 Sep 2010)

As you know from my previous comments, I have rather a fondness for Stockton town centre. Its unusually wide High Street is one of the best urban spaces anywhere, and it is lined by some beautiful – if sometimes neglected – buildings.

Castlegate Shopping Centre, Stockton (28 Jun 2010)

Equally, visit the Castlegate Shopping Centre, where we started our filming, and you can also be forgiven for wondering where the LDC got its figures from. Though very much based around a value offer (including Wilkinson, Poundland and Home Bargains, as well as B&M), there are hardly any vacant units and the mall was really busy with shoppers on the Monday morning that we were there.

Wellington Square, Stockton (17 Sep 2009)

Nevertheless, walk the length of the High Street towards the empty Globe Theatre and the number of vacant units does start to add up. In Wellington Square, Stockton’s newer shopping centre, I counted at least 15 (mostly smaller) empty units, despite the presence of strong anchors such as Debenhams, New Look, H&M and (a modernised) M&S. Around the corner, in the High Street itself, one particular stretch includes only one permanent shop in a row of six units that are otherwise either empty or to let. With these kinds of numbers, the LDC findings begin to make sense.

Empty shops in Stockton High Street (22 Nov 2010)

So, why does Stockton have so many empty shops? When the BBC’s Chris Jackson asked me this question while filming in front of some of these vacant units, I suggested that it was down to a combination of factors.

While it’s easy to blame out-of-town retail, it’s certainly true that Stockton town centre has to compete with an unusually large number of out-of-town stores, both at Teesside Shopping Park and Portrack Lane. This doesn’t stop some retailers, such as M&S, having a presence both in-town and out – indeed, even B&M has just opened a Homestore in part of the old Big W at Portrack Lane, obviously seeing this as complementary to its Castlegate shop.

Marks & Spencer in Stockton (16 Nov 2010)

However, other retailers that could conceivably have a Stockton town centre presence, like Next and TK Maxx, already have stores at Teesside Shopping Park instead. Factor in the competition from Middlesbrough’s strong retail centre just four miles away, and it’s easy to frame Stockton as having a town centre that is simply too large for its current needs. Imagine that Stockton’s empty shops could be magicked away, with those that remain compressed into a smaller footprint. Without the distraction of the empty units, what you would see is a pretty strong retail offer for a place of Stockton’s size. Indeed, there are plenty of towns that would love to have both Debenhams and M&S on their high street, as Stockton still does.

Closed-down Rosebys in Stockton (16 Nov 2010)

As I explained to Chris, however, Stockton’s situation is not all down to local factors. There’s little any place can do when quite a number of its empty shops – such as a former Ethel Austin, Leveys, Rosebys, Au Naturale and Internacionale – are the consequence of weak retailers collapsing or struggling at a national level. Unfortunately, such names tend to be disproportionately represented in more secondary or less affluent retail locations rather than in major city centres, exacerbating the problem of empty shops in those places that often most need a retail fillip.

However, work already underway in Stockton provides some optimism for the future. The local council seems to recognise what needs to be done, improving the appearance of empty shops to minimise their blighting effect on the town centre, and supporting the transformation of the derelict Globe Theatre into a venue that draws people into that part of the High Street. All this is helped by the fact that Stockton High Street offers such a unique and impressive setting.

Inside Middleton Grange, Hartlepool (17 Sep 2009)

In contrast, Hartlepool’s town centre, where we filmed later in the day, suffers from having much less richness and character, due to its town centre basically being the Middleton Grange shopping centre. As with other homogeonous town centres such as Washington, this inevitably limits the options for retailers looking to enter Hartlepool, particularly those that would prefer a bustling high street location to an enclosed mall. After all, there must be some reason why Hartlepool’s large Woolworths site remains empty at the same time as many big names (and potential occupants) – such as BHS, H&M, TK Maxx and TJ Hughes – remain absent from the town.

Church Square, Hartlepool (16 Nov 2010)

Though parts of Middleton Grange are bright and busy, it suffers from being largely inward facing, and from having inadequate physical connections with the surrounding area. It is around these edges – notably in the dismal Market Walk area – where Middleton Grange seems to have its largest number of empty units.

The desolate Market Walk area of Hartlepool (16 Nov 2010)

I love the vibrancy of Hartlepool Marina, as well as the pleasing architecture and townscape of Church Square and Church Street (part of Ralph Ward Jackson’s original town centre for West Hartlepool – more of which in an upcoming post). However, getting to these places on foot from the town centre is stymied by a succession of busy roads, despite the distance not being very great. For the same reason, I suspect few of those who visit the Marina, Museum of Hartlepool or HMS Trincomalee make it over to the town centre.

The attractive Hartlepool Marina (17 Sep 2009)

Apart from making Hartlepool less hard to navigate, an important point I made on camera related to the town’s lack of a department store. Go back twenty years, and Hartlepool had Binns (House of Fraser) as well of Uptons, anchoring either end of Middleton Grange.

The outline of the former Binns logo can still be seen (16 Nov 2010)

Today, the Binns site is occupied by Wilkinson, and the old Uptons is a Co-op Home Store – basically one of Anglia Co-op’s Westgate Department Stores, but with only home-related departments and no fashions. If Hartlepool is to prevent the leakage of shoppers to centres such as Middlesbrough and Sunderland, this is a gap that really needs to be filled.

Co-op Home Store, Hartlepool (16 Nov 2010)

Having said all this, I’m not entirely sure how much of the filming is going to be used in the programme tonight – I know that the need to report on the impact of the current cold weather has meant that the retail features have, unfortunately, had to be trimmed. Let’s just hope that Inside Out doesn’t feel a late urge to report on Newcastle United sacking yet another manager earlier this afternoon…

Former Woolworths (now B&M Bargains), Penrith (19 Jun 2010)

In between touring the East Midlands, travelling up to Berwick, and stopping off in Horley on my way out the country, I also found time this summer to visit the attractive Lake District market town of Penrith – a viable day trip from here on Tyneside.

Regular followers of this blog will barely be surprised to hear that Penrith’s former Woolworths (#416), opened in Middlegate in 1930, not only bears all the architectural hallmarks of an old Woolies, but has also been taken over by the increasingly ubiquitous B&M Bargains. You can just about make out the Woolworths building in this 1950s postcard of Middlegate – on the left-hand side of the street, partly obscured by a Kodak banner.

Postcard of Middlegate, 1950s

The impressive property opposite Woolworths is Penrith’s fine Burton menswear building, which, happily, is not only still standing but also still houses – at least in part – a branch of Burton. However, the person who thought it was a good idea to remove the store’s original logo (which is still just about visible), and to insert a second, lower fascia below the original black marble, deserves to be severely ticked off. So many purpose-built Burton buildings have been disfigured by ill-considered alterations, and this is a great pity. Perhaps one day this elegant building’s proper proportions can be restored.

Burton store, Penrith (5 Nov 2010)

Back to Woolies though, and Cumbria has the somewhat unusual distinction, nearly two years on from the retailer’s collapse, of seeing all nine of its former Woolworths stores with new tenants. Running through them, the list reads like a roll call of those businesses that have been most active, across the UK, in snapping up former Woolies sites. It is notable too – and reflective of our times – that all but one of those nine stores now houses some form of discount retailer.

The county’s oldest Woolworths store, in Carlisle (#159), has also become B&M Bargains, while Kendal’s (#438) has been take over by Home Bargains, and Keswick’s (#938) by the growing Mountain Warehouse outdoor chain. In the south of the county, Barrow’s Woolies (#242) is now Poundland while Ulverston’s (#478) is a Tesco Express – the only ‘non-discount’ retailer among the collection.

Over in west Cumbria, Maryport’s former Woolworths (#618) has been replaced by The Original Factory Shop, and Workington’s (#382) by Sports Direct. In the last few months, Whitehaven’s old Woolies (#253) has become the last to be taken over, one half occupied by Poundland, and the other – somewhat controversially – by a British Heart Foundation furniture store.

Even in comparison to other Cumbrian towns, the inhabitants of Whitehaven can be forgiven for feeling underwhelmed by what now occupies one of their town’s (formerly) largest retail units. The other issue is how Corrie star Andy Whyment ever has time to tread the cobbles in between attending Poundland grand openings.

Former Woolworths (now - partly - Poundland) in South Shields (18 Jun 2010)

As you may recall, I’ve cautioned against dividing up old Woolworths units before. South Shields, for example, has gained a decent-sized Poundland – opened by Andy’s equally busy colleague, Jennie McAlpine – but still has a large chunk of the building that shows no sign of being let. Would the unit as a whole have been more attractive to potential tenants? I wouldn’t bet against it.

Indeed, news from Caernarfon yesterday gives hope that a long-empty Woolies can be reoccupied without having to resort to carving it up. Back in July, I blogged about how the store – #417, and opened as a Woolies at almost exactly the same time as Penrith’s – was one of the last in North Wales to still be empty. Meanwhile, plans to convert the building into two shops, with offices and an apartment above, had come to nothing.

Now, however, The Original Factory Shop is not only taking over the whole of the property’s ground floor, but is also going to trade from upstairs. It may have taken a while to happen, but I can’t help thinking that Caernarfon’s outcome, rather than Whitehaven’s, will ultimately be more beneficial for the viability of its high street.

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.

High Street, Inverness with former Woolworths store (1 May 2010)

One of the hazards of visiting so many places – and taking so many photos of shops – is that I end up with far more potential blog topics than I ever have time to write about.

Some shots that I’ve had gathering dust since the beginning of May are from when I holidayed in the Scottish Highlands. Old Woolworths – or, in fact, any shops at all – are hard to come by in the wilds of Sutherland, but I did manage to bring in a couple of Woolies visits on the way back home.

Former Woolworths, Inverness - prior to Poundland moving in (1 May 2010)

First stop was Inverness, where the large former Woolies store at 13-15 High Street (store #233) was still empty when I visited. As Woolworths, the store had traded from the site for more than 80 years, opening on 11 September 1926 and undergoing a ‘reskinning’ in 1964 to give it its current, ‘modern’ appearance.

c1960 postcard view, prior to reskinning

However, the news that Poundland would be moving into the ground floor of the five-storey property – opening a second Inverness store alongside its existing Eastgate shop – had been reported just the day before my visit. The new Poundland store is now trading, having opened last month.

North Berwick's characterful town centre (2 May 2010)

Almost at the other end of Scotland, the old Woolworths in the delightful seaside town of North Berwick, East Lothian (store #804) – which has been taken over by Poundstretcher – is a much more modest property.

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

Despite Poundstretcher’s travails – blogged about back in August last year, and reflected in total pre-tax losses for its parent company, Instore, of more than £33m across the last four years – the retailer has picked up quite a few old Woolies stores, including, among others, sites in Camborne, Whitchurch, Hyde, Edinburgh, and several in Northern Ireland. These, along with the rest of the retailer’s estate, are adopting a revamped Poundstretcher fascia, following the abandonment of earlier plans to brand the entire chain as Instore.

These recent acquisitions have helped Poundstretcher to increase its store estate to about 320, still short of the peak of almost 340 that was reached in 2002, but an improvement on the 300 figure from early 2006. However, with Home Bargains and B&M Bargains expanding aggressively on one front (the latter now up to 197 stores, from just 10 in 2000), and single-price retailers Poundland and 99p Stores hammering away at another, it’s hard to know quite where Poundstretcher sits.

As the Retail Week Knowledge Bank sagely concludes, “the serious strategic dilemma facing [Instore's] management is that neither the Instore nor the Poundstretcher format is yet showing any obvious signs of making the required impact on enough consumers for the business to achieve sustainable long-term profitability despite all efforts.”

Former Woolworths, Caernarfon (July 2010). Photograph by Sally Daffarn

I’m not quite sure if it should be a cause for celebration or urgent self-reflection when my friends start emailing over photographs of old Woolworths that they have spotted on their travels… Whichever, many thanks to Sally Daffarn for capturing this shot of the former Woolies in Caernarfon, which she “saw on holiday and thought of you!”

Caernarfon is one of the North East Woolworths sites that I didn’t get to when I was over there in September last year, and it’s interesting to see that it’s still empty and looking a little worse for wear by now. I can only assume that plans to convert the building into two shops, office accommodation and flats – announced in April last year – have fallen through.

For the moment at least, it means that Caernarfon’s Woolworths is one of a dwindling number that are still vacant, more than 18 months on from the retailer’s high profile collapse.

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

Indeed, of the six North Wales Woolies that I saw in September, four were already reoccupied back then, by Publishers Book Clearance (Llandudno), Home Bargains (Prestatyn), The Original Factory Shop (Porthmadog) and B&M Bargains (Rhyl) – a pretty good snapshot of the types of retailers that have taken over Woolies sites across the UK as a whole.

I understand, however, that Publishers Book Clearance in Llandudno has closed down within the last few days due to the end of its temporary lease. I’m not clear whether any other retailer is lined up to move in. [UPDATE, 21 July 2010: There's a story about the closure of the store in today's North Wales Pioneer, which seems to confirm that no new tenant is in place yet.]

Planned site for The Original Factory Shop in Colwyn Bay (25 Sep 2009)

As for the two old Woolies stores that were empty when I visited – Colwyn Bay and Holyhead – I can’t find any evidence of either being occupied since.

Interestingly, The Original Factory Shop has recently announced plans to open in Colwyn Bay, but on the site of The Litten Tree pub in Station Road (still open when I visited) – despite the firm’s marketing director noting that “we have taken over a lot of the old Woolworths sites across the UK.”

Ethel Austin in Holyhead's Stanley Street, prior to closure (23 Sep 2009)

Meanwhile, it sounds like Holyhead’s high level of voids – which already included Woolies, Kwik Save and many others – has been further compounded by the loss of its Ethel Austin. However, it’s positive to read that the town is receiving funding from both the EU and the Welsh Assembly Government “in a bid to create jobs, win back shoppers and build on tourism projects”, and that “Anglesey County Council is inviting expressions of interest from those wishing to improve, develop, or occupy vacant premises in Holyhead Town Centre.”

Former Kwik Save, Holyhead (23 Sep 2009)

For all the vacant units, I felt that Holyhead had a great deal of charm and character when I visited last year, and was let down by some really unappealing and neglected buildings. Hopefully initiatives like the one that’s underway can tackle these barriers to investment, helping the town turn the corner, and encouraging it to become the vibrant place that would befit its status as a major ferry gateway into the UK.

Former Woolworths, Peterlee (12 March 2010)

Only counting the (33) North East Woolworths stores that closed down following the company’s 2008 administration, my quest to photograph the full set is nearing completion – with five more new ones featured in this post, only Berwick, Billingham and Stockton’s Portrack Lane are left to get.

However, the ever-expanding list of stores that had already closed down in previous years – currently standing at 17, of which 7 have been photographed – means that I’ll be kept busy touring the North East’s towns and suburbs for a little while yet.

First up, however, are a couple of revisits, with the old Gateshead Woolies store (#154) still determinedly empty.

Former Woolworths, Gateshead (12 March 2010)

Better news in Chester-le-Street though, where the old Woolies (store #267) had been taken over by B&M Bargains since my previous visit a couple of months earlier.

Former Woolworths (now B&M Bargains), Chester-le-Street (12 March 2010)

The first new stop is Stanley in County Durham, where Store Twenty One has done a good job of turning the old Woolies shop in Front Street (store #873) into a bright and appealing fashion and homewares store.

Former Woolworths (now Store Twenty One), Stanley (12 April 2010)

Less impressive is the company’s website - firstly for not having the Stanley shop listed in its store locator, and secondly for having the phrase “cheap clothes” within its title tags. To me, the words “cheap clothes” conjure up an unpleasant – and probably unfair – image of the retailer’s range being 100% driven by price at the expense of fashion. Indeed, using such language surely undermines the more effective “fashionably affordable” tagline that is used elsewhere on the site. Hopefully these issues will be addressed when the promised new site launches later this month.

Staying in County Durham, the 5,000 sq ft former Woolworths in Peterlee’s Yoden Way (store #987) was still empty when I visited in March, and as far as I know remains that way.

Former Woolworths, Peterlee (12 March 2010)

Though hardly the most beautiful building, that row of shops holds some historic significance as the first part of Peterlee new town to be built. The Francis Frith website features a rather quirky shot of the Yoden Way shops  surrounded by empty space – certainly a contrast to today’s busy and built up shopping centre. The Woolworths shop is easily recognisable in the old photograph by its distinctive, pale façade.

Former Woolworths, Newton Aycliffe (12 March 2010)

Down the road in Newton Aycliffe, we have another new town, another empty Woolies (store #1007), and another property that wouldn’t win any prizes for its looks.

On to Darlington next, where the formerWoolworths at 12-18 Northgate (store #28) was in the midst of building work to turn it into a new branch of Next. I understand that the Next store is not open yet, but is due to be finished later in the summer.

Former Woolworths, Darlington (12 March 2010)

Cornmill entrance to former Woolworths, Darlington (12 March 2010)

Finally to Spennymoor, and the old Woolies there (store #278) is one of many nationwide that has been taken over by The Original Factory Shop, the self-styled “low-price local department store”.

Former Woolworths (now The Original Factory Shop), Spennymoor (12 March 2010)

The chain has a policy of opening in smaller towns with limited non-food competition, and this is reflected in its choice of North East locations to date – among them Ashington, Crook, Prudhoe, Shildon and Stanley.

Interestingly, The Original Factory Shop’s own website indicates that a new store will be ‘opening soon’ in Morpeth, in Northumberland – I can’t find any further details yet, but presume that it will be in the former M&S Simply Food unit, vacated last year following the opening of a full M&S store in the new Sanderson Arcade.

Well worth it? Well, perhaps...

Back in September, you might recall me trumpeting the fact that I’d visited six old Woolworths in a day. Today, however, I must confess to visiting (and photographing) ten in one day – or eleven if you count the extra one that I passed on the bus but was too tired to stop at. Needless to say, you will surely be expecting me to run through them all, so here goes…

Former Woolworths, Gateshead (16 Dec 2009)

First up is Gateshead, which – inevitably – still looks much the same as it did when I last blogged about it. There could be room for a B&M Bargains or 99p Stores in Gateshead town centre, but it’s difficult to see any retailers being attracted at the moment, given that the High Street remains a demolition site, and there’s still little indication of when work will start on the much-heralded Trinity Square scheme.

Former Woolworths, Jarrow (16 Dec 2009)

A few stops along the Metro, and the former Woolies in Jarrow is also still empty. I’d never been to Jarrow town centre before, but was quite impressed with the town’s Viking Centre – originally built as Britain’s first Arndale Centre in 1961, but evidently much revamped since then. It’s well anchored by several large big-name stores (Peacocks, New Look, Wilkinson, Morrisons), was busy with shoppers, and appeared to have hardly any voids apart from the former Woolies site.

Former Woolworths, South Shields (16 Dec 2009)

A few more Metro stops along, and South Shields is one of those slightly curious cases of a former Woolworths that has been carved into two, with part of it occupied and the rest still empty. I do always wonder about the wisdom of splitting large shop units, given that many towns have plenty of smaller premises available to let, but can’t always offer the large units that some of the highest profile retailers require. Still, one must assume that the building’s landlords know what they’re doing.

As things stand, a chunk of the building is occupied by Poundland, while the rest is apparently ‘to let’. Back in September, the Shields Gazette claimed that the remaining half was to be occupied by Primark, which always struck me as rather strange - surely if Primark was coming, it would have wanted the whole building, given that its stores are becoming increasingly huge. Certainly, I’m yet to see or hear anything to corroborate the Gazette’s claim – which is a shame, as I’m sure a Primark would be positive for South Shields town centre.

Former Woolworths, North Shields (16 Dec 2009)

Hopping over the Tyne on the Shields Ferry to North Shields, and the former Woolworths there is something a little different – a Cramlington Textiles Superstore. I was quite impressed with this shop, which sells DIY ranges, such as paint and wallpaper, alongside a vast array of curtains, cushions and bedding. The interior of the store has not had a lot done to it – I noted the Woolworths ‘Thank you for shopping with us’ signs still in place above the exits – but it’s tidy and well laid out, with fixtures and fittings that show off the product range to good effect.

Former Woolworths, Wallsend (16 Dec 2009)

Down the road in Wallsend, the new occupant of the old Woolworths store – Well Worth It – has garnered some regional media attention for its Woolworths-style format (and name – perhaps another case for the Shop Direct lawyers?), complete with the obligatory pick and mix. Well Worth It is part of the Blyth-based North East Convenience Stores empire, and this is reflected in the store having a significant grocery offer that occupies perhaps half the floorspace. Other than that, there seemed to be some good offers in areas such as homewares and toys, and there were certainly a decent number of people looking around.

Overall, however, I’m slightly ambivalent about these types of discount variety stores, and I didn’t really see anything that makes Well Worth It stand out from B&M Bargains, 99p Stores and the like. On the other hand, you could argue that if Well Worth It enjoys even a fraction of those retailers’ recent success, being distinctive will barely matter.

Woolworths in Whitley Bay: how it looked before (26 Dec 2008)

...and how it looks now (16 Dec 2009)

Talking about B&M Bargains brings us nicely onto the next stop in my journey, at Whitley Bay. The B&M store there has only been open a few weeks, and it was nice to see the building full of stock as well as people – all a bit of a change from my last visit, on Boxing Day 2008, when the then Woolworths store had just four days to go and very little left to sell. As is customary with B&M, the shop has had only a minimal makeover, inside or out – note the familiar shopfront with its light blue Woolies door handles – but it’s hard to knock a formula that is clearly working well.

Former Woolworths, Blyth (16 Dec 2009)

Up the coast a few miles and my next stop was Blyth, in Northumberland – another place I’d never visited before. The former Woolies there – now a PerfectHome shop – occupies a really prominent location in the surprisingly attractive market square, directly opposite the large Westgate Department Store. The new store looked very appealing, and had evidently had care lavished on both the frontage and the interior.

I remain unconvinced, however, about the usefulness of pay-weekly stores – such as PerfectHome or BrightHouse – as footfall drivers within town centres, given the types of products that they sell and the quite specific demographic that they target. It was difficult to judge today, given that Blyth town centre as a whole seemed very quiet, probably at least in part due to the terrible weather.

Former Woolworths, Ashington (16 Dec 2009)

A few miles away in Ashington, the handsome former Woolworths building has again been divided into two, with Heron Foods occupying half, and the other part currently empty.

Old postcard showing Ashington Woolworths (posted 1959)

I didn’t go in, as it’s a little difficult to pop into a freezer centre just to browse. Undoubtedly though, Heron Foods, just like B&M Bargains, has really capitalised on the demise of Woolworths to rapidly expand its presence in a way that wouldn’t ordinarily have been possible.

Former Woolworths, Morpeth (16 Dec 2009)

On to Morpeth, and though I’ve featured the town’s former Woolworths – now Iceland – before, I wasn’t going to let that stop me capturing an up-to-date photo while I was there. Honourable mention must also go to the old Woolies in Gosforth – previously featured here – which I passed on the bus on the way home, and noted was now open (and busy) as The Co-operative Food.

Former Woolworths, Newcastle (16 Dec 2009)

We end the day almost as we started: back on Tyneside, this time in Newcastle, with a former Woolies that is still empty and, as I blogged before, seems unlikely to see any action soon. Over the course of the day, however, it was heartening to see so many former Woolworths shops that have been brought back into use – in whole or in part – even if none of them quite manage to capture that elusive ‘Wonder of Woolies’.

Whitley Road in Whitley Bay (16 December 2009)

Visiting Whitley Bay in North Tyneside today, it was apparent that while there ARE indeed a lot of empty shops – as blogged about previously here – there’s still just about enough going on to keep shoppers interested. I’ll give a fuller rundown of my visit, including my reaction to the newly opened B&M Bargains, in an upcoming post.

Abbey/Santander looks like it's between brands at the moment

You have to feel slightly sorry, however, for the town’s branch of the Abbey bank – soon to be rebranded Santander – which is sandwiched between the horrible-looking former Select store and the boarded-up former T&G Allan shop (both closed earlier this year).

Looking at the bank’s current fascia, above, I did wonder whether it was trying to say something about its immediate surroundings?

Former Woolworths, Consett (10 Oct 2009)

After Parts 1 and 2 of my former Woolworths photo gallery, it’s time to finish up – at least for the moment – with some more shots of old Woolies sites up here in the North East.

First up is the former store in Newcastle’s Clayton Street. The 1930s building has always been something of an architectural oddity in its location, with most of the rest of the street consisting of Richard Grainger buildings from about 1837.

Former Woolworths, Clayton Street, Newcastle (27 Sep 2009). Photograph by Graham Soult

The property, which is currently being advertised as ‘to let’, is pretty large – over 16,000 sq ft on the ground floor, with the same again on the first floor. In recent years the Woolworths store occupied only the ground floor, but I’d be curious to know whether Woolies ever had the first floor open to the public too. Perhaps there’s a reader out there who knows the answer?

To be honest, it’s difficult to see a store of this size, in this location, being re-let any time soon. This end of Clayton Street is very much a secondary pitch in Newcastle city centre (with some rather unprepossessing neighbours), and is therefore unlikely to suit the limited number of large retailers, such as Peacocks, that are not currently represented in the centre of Newcastle.

Possibly a more likely scenario is to see the building redeveloped as part of the planned demolition and rebuilding of the Newgate Shopping Centre, slated for 2011-12, into which the old Woolies had a (latterly unused) side entrance.

Former Woolworths, Byker (27 Sep 2009)

The Clayton Street shop was one of three Woolworths stores that existed within the Newcastle city boundaries until the chain’s collapse last year. One of those other stores was the Newcastle Shopping Park branch, in Byker – a slightly unusual case in that it displays no visible sign of ever being a Woolies, in contrast to most still-empty Woolworths that retain their familiar red signage.

This lack of evidence for where Woolworths actually was has already caused some confusion on the web, with Ballysundriven on Flickr (who has built up an astonishing collection of 349 old Woolies pics that puts mine to shame), and, in turn, Retail Week, mistakenly identifying the new B&M Home Store as being in the old Woolies premises. In fact, as the (very old) mall map confirms, B&M is in the unit that used to be Au Naturale, prior to its 2008 administration; meanwhile, the vast 95,000 sq ft former Woolworths unit remains resolutely empty.

Just to prove it really was a Woolworths, take a look at this picture of it, at the time of closure, on the Newcastle upon Tyne Daily Photo blog, or some shots here after it had just opened. Amusingly, while Woolworths’ own signage may have been taken down, its presence hasn’t been erased from Newcastle Shopping Park entirely:

Woolworths listed on a Newcastle Shopping Park sign (27 Sep 2009)

Only opened in 2004, the Byker store undoubtedly has a much shorter history than most of those Woolies branches that closed down a year ago; to be honest, though, the store was a bit of a white elephant from the beginning.

When Woolworths originally signed up to anchor the Newcastle Shopping Park scheme, its store was expected to be a Big W – the large, out-of-town format that Woolworths adopted in the late 1990s. However, the Big W format had already been abandoned by the time the Byker store was ready to open, so it was merely branded as Woolworths – albeit a very large one. Evidently it proved too large, given that Woolworths later brought in Peacocks to share some of the space.

Newcastle’s third and final Woolworths was the one in Gosforth High Street, which has seemingly been let to The Co-operative Food. When I revisited Gosforth last weekend, there looked to be hoardings up around the front of the store, with refurbishment work presumably underway.

Former Woolworths, Gosforth (27 Sep 2009)

"Acquired for clients Co-op Group"

Finally, another North East Woolworths that has had more happen to it since my photograph is the branch in Consett, County Durham.

Former Woolworths, Consett (10 Oct 2009)

Empty at the time of my visit, I understand that the store is now going to become a branch of the weekly payment store, BrightHouse.^{[broken link removed]}

For now – until I go travelling again - that’s all the photos I’ve got of recently-closed Woolworths. However, I’ve a couple of photographic variations left over for forthcoming blog posts, including one old North East Woolworths that shut down in 2004, and another that I think is an old Woolworths that closed down many years ago… See if you can work out which locations I’m referring to!

B&M fascia

Barely a day or two after writing about Whitley Bay Woolworths still being empty, I now read that it’s going to become a B&M Bargains store – and will open on Thursday.

Relatively little-known before 2009, Blackpool-based B&M Bargains is definitely one of the biggest beneficiaries of Woolworths’ demise, picking up more than 40 old Woolies shops to date, and seemingly having a knack for getting its new stores up and running in a matter of days.

As I’ve mentioned before, I do struggle a little to see B&M as a destination store. Perhaps I just find it difficult to see beyond the ghastly blue and orange fascia? Clearly, however, having a reopened shop is vastly preferable to a vacant unit, particularly when it brings 40 new retail jobs to Whitley Bay.

Perhaps even more importantly, it’s a vote of confidence in Whitley Bay town centre – and one that may hopefully encourage other retailers to follow.

Former Woolworths - now B&M Bargains - in Rhyl (25 Sep 2009)

Last month I posted photographs of eight former Woolies stores as far apart as Tamworth in Staffordshire and Perth in Scotland. Now, as promised, I’m pleased to present another collection, this time from my visit to North Wales back in September.

Former Woolworths, Holyhead (23 Sep 2009)

In Wales, I did pretty well to capture six old Woolies stores in the space of six days. First up is Holyhead, above, a town that, back in February, reportedly had a 39% retail vacancy rate.

Holyhead is just the kind of place where the closure of Woolies has left a really big hole. 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.

Former Kwik Save, Holyhead (23 Sep 2009)

It’s particularly unfortunate that the shut-up Woolworths in Holyhead is directly opposite another large, empty and very forlorn-looking unit, formerly occupied by Kwik Save - a chain whose heartland was in North Wales. Though slightly off topic for a blog post about Woolworths, I also took a picture of the Kwik Save store for posterity, given that it’s quite unusual now to see an old Kwik Save store – particularly one in such a prominent location – that hasn’t been taken over by another retailer. 

Celtic Gateway Bridge, Holyhead (23 Sep 2009)

I did find Holyhead to be a town of two halves – though walking up the main street was quite a depressing experience, there are obvious signs of recent investment. Most notably, the Celtic Gateway bridge - opened in October 2006, and linking Market Street to the ferry terminal and railway station - is stunning (albeit, for a Tynesider, oddly reminiscent of something else), and incidentally provides an excellent vantage point for photographing the back of the old Woolworths store.

Back of former Woolworths, Holyhead (23 Sep 2009)

Elsewhere in my journeys around North Wales, the stories of the old Woolies stores that I came across were generally more positive. Colwyn Bay was (and as far as I know still is) empty; however, the property is supposedly being actively marketed^{[broken link removed]}, is a good-looking building compared to many other Woolies, and benefits from being in a surprisingly lively and attractive town centre. Given these positives, I would be surprised if the unit wasn’t snapped up before long.

Former Woolworths, Colwyn Bay (25 Sep 2009)

Colwyn Bay's attractive Station Road (25 Sep 2009)

Just along the coast, the old Woolworths stores in Rhyl and Prestatyn are both now occupied. Rhyl’s is a B&M Bargains, though I was pleased to see that the building’s history is unlikely to be forgotten for as long as the large letters spelling out ‘WOOLWORTHS’ remain in the second-floor windows.

Former Woolworths, Rhyl (25 Sep 2009)

The store in Prestatyn, meanwhile, is now Home Bargains, featuring a similar, grey and burgundy fascia to that of the new Tamworth store. Once again, Home Bargains has done a good job of enhancing the building’s appearance with a surprisingly attractive new shopfront.

Former Woolworths - now Home Bargains - in Prestatyn (25 Sep 2009)

In the delightful seaside town of Llandudno, the old Woolies looks to have undergone a minimal makeover to become a a Publishers Book Clearance store.

Former Woolworths - now Publishers Book Clearance - in Llandudno (25 Sep 2009)

I’m sure that there should be an apostrophe in there somewhere – either Publisher’s or Publishers’ could work, depending on how many publishers are doing the clearing – but the business appears not to use one. On that basis, let’s hope the store offers Lynne Truss’ Eats Shoots & Leaves among its available titles.

Finally, in Porthmadog, I was able to get a photo of The Original Factory Shop, which has taken over the town’s former Woolworths site.

Former Woolworths - now The Original Factory Shop - in Porthmadog (21 Sep 2009)

Spot the Woolies clue!

Getting closer up, notice the little square icon on the entrance doors, divided into red and white triangles. Hurray that a little bit of Woolies lives on in North Wales!

Believe it or not, I still have photos of five more old Woolworths, all up here in the North East, that I haven’t featured yet. Looks like I’d better get on with Part 3…

Woolworths Worthit logo

Wandering around the variety store Poundstretcher in Hexham yesterday, I was understandably surprised to spot lots of Woolworths-branded products on the shelves, including – among many other things – Worthit DVD players and laundry baskets.

Presumably, Poundstretcher has snapped up surplus warehouse stock that would have been destined for Woolies, had it survived. It struck me as quite ironic, given that Poundstretcher put its weak performance over Christmas down to competition from Woolworths’ clearance sale – selling off those same products that can now be found in Poundstretcher.

Even before this interesting twist, I’ve always thought that Poundstretcher – aka Instore – has a great deal in common with Woolworths. Beyond the obvious fact that both have similar product ranges (homewares, confectionery, gardening, Christmas decorations and the like) Poundstretcher has recently had a frustrating Woolworths-style habit of underperforming, even when the economic climate has suggested that a price-focused retailer should be doing well.

Another common feature is that Poundstretcher, like Woolies before it, seems to struggle to offer a consistent customer experience. While some Poundstretcher stores, such as Gateshead’s Team Valley superstore, are spacious and well organised, the smaller branches, like that in Hexham, often seem tired and cluttered.

A third shared attribute – and one where Poundstretcher may even trump Woolies – is in failing to build an understandable and meaningful brand. Since 2005, the business has had an identity crisis. First it began to rebrand its Poundstretcher estate under the new Instore fascia; then, in 2006, decided instead to trade under both names; and now plans to scrap Instore all together, rebranding all those stores back to Poundstretcher. Combine this with Poundstretcher having at least three different logos in active use, and there’s no wonder that shoppers should be confused about what, if anything, the retailer and its brand stand for.

Recent announcements suggest that trading at Poundstretcher has picked up, but that – ominously – “the board does not regard this as indicative of a turnaround in the company’s overall situation”. Woolworths may be gone from the high street – if not from the shelves of Poundstretcher – but as value competitors such as Home Bargains, B&M Bargains and Poundland expand aggressively to fill the gap left by Woolies, Poundstretcher will need to work hard to build a truly distinctive offer and brand.

Iceland continues to pick up more Woolies stores - this one in Hexham was acquired in January

It looks like the pace of Woolworths stores finding new occupants may be picking up, with more than twenty new announcements since I last blogged on the issue – at this rate I won’t be able to keep up!

Once again, the list of incoming retailers is as eclectic as we have come to expect:

• Blairgowrie: The Original Factory Shop (still tbc, subject to building issues) – full story
• Bristol (Hartcliffe): What Stores Ltd (family-owned DIY and variety store – I can’t find a website, buy you can read people’s reviews of the Cardiff superstore here) – full story
• Cannock: Poundland – full story
• Christchurch: 99p Stores – full story
• Colchester: QD Stores (independent discount retailer in the east of England) – full story
• Elgin: Poundland – full story
• Hawick: Farmfoods – full story
• Kingston-upon-Thames: Clas Ohlson – full story
• Leigh: Tesco Express - full story
• Nottingham: Poundworld – full story
• Peterhead: Iceland – full story
• Reading: Clas Ohlson (tbc – planning permission applied for) - full story
• Rotherham: B&M Bargains – full story
• Rustington: The Original Factory Shop – full story
• Stourbridge: Home Bargains – full story
• Thurso: Ethel Austin^{[broken link removed]} – full story
• Uckfield: WHSmith – full story
• Waltham Cross: British Heart Foundation (tbc – planning application submitted) – full story^{[broken link removed]}
• Wick: Ethel Austin – full story
• Worksop: B&M Bargains (tbc) – full story
• Wymondham: The Co-operative Food – full story^{[broken link removed]}

Meanwhile, the old Woolies in Rye looks set to become the town’s new library. This is positive in the short term in so far as it brings an empty building back into use. In the longer term, I’m not sure whether the viability of town centres is best served by taking over prime retail units for non-retail functions…