Soult's Retail View - Page 11 of 23 - Blogging about shops on the high street and online, by North East-based retail consultant Graham Soult

Sainsbury's Local (formerly Woolworths), Hessle Road, Hull (11 Oct 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Retail History / Supermarkets / Woolworths

November 7, 2011

Hessle Road’s long-gone Woolworths and its successors

While tearing around Barnsley and Hull visiting UGO supermarkets last month, I was pleased to be able to work in an unexpected ex-Woolworths. Not knowing Hull...

Discount UK (former Woolworths), Newcastle (4 Nov 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Brands / Variety Stores / Woolworths

November 4, 2011

As Discount UK opens in Newcastle, Poundstretcher watches

Poundworld-owned variety retailer Discount UK has opened its Newcastle store today, with stilt walkers and free sweets on hand to welcome shoppers to the former...

Signage at UGO Lundwood (11 Oct 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Brands / Interiors / Marketing / Supermarkets / Supply Chain

November 1, 2011

A new UGO tour: positive signs as I go supermarket spotting in Barnsley and Hull

The emergence of UGO as Britain’s newest discount supermarket chain has been one of the most interesting retail launches of 2011 so far. Back in January,...

The North Face, Newcastle (29 Oct 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Property / Specialist Retailers

October 30, 2011

The North Face opens its Newcastle flagship store

The Californian outdoor brand The North Face has opened its new store in Newcastle in the last few days – though you could easily be...

Discount UK, Newcastle (29 Oct 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Property / Variety Stores / Woolworths

October 29, 2011

Newcastle’s Discount UK readies for 4 November opening

Discount UK, the Poundworld-owned variety store retailer, is to open the doors of its new Newcastle store at 10am on Friday (4 November). As I reported a...

Amar Atelier, Alicante (17 Jun 2011). Photograph courtesy of Amar Atelier

Independent Stores / Merchandising / Online / Overseas

October 23, 2011

The Spanish indie retailer with a North East design connection

Many of you will have seen my retail column in the Bdaily last week, where I discussed some of the key ingredients that help to make a...

Well Worth It! in Ledbury (8 Oct 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Independent Stores / Market Towns / Retail History / Variety Stores / Woolworths

October 18, 2011

Ledbury’s ‘son of Woolies’ – and a visual identity inspired by the past

Dorchester’s famous Wellworths may have had to change its name to Wellchester at Shop Direct’s behest, but a store in the Herefordshire town of Ledbury...

Department Stores / Home and DIY / Online / Property / Retail Parks

October 14, 2011

Interview: Isabel Macdonald, Branch Manager, John Lewis at Home Tamworth

Tamworth’s new John Lewis at Home opened its doors on Wednesday (12 October), eight months after I broke the news of its impending arrival. The 42,000 sq ft...

Tesco in Eger, Hungary (15 Jul 2006). Photograph by Graham Soult

Brands / Campaigns / Economy / Financial / Overseas / Supermarkets

October 5, 2011

Has Britain fallen out of love with Tesco?

Today’s release of fairly weak UK trading figures from Tesco – where like-for-like sales, excluding petrol and VAT, fell by 0.5% in the first half...

Former Woolworths, Newcastle (30 Sep 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Property / Shopping Centres / Variety Stores / Woolworths

September 30, 2011

End of an era as Newcastle Woolworths signage comes down

Newcastle’s ex-Woolworths in Clayton Street (store #340) has been one of a dwindling number to retain its Woolies signage three years on, as more and...

Former Woolworths, Newcastle (23 Aug 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Property / Variety Stores / Woolworths

September 28, 2011

Has Discount UK signed up for Newcastle’s old Clayton Street Woolies?

It seems we might finally have an answer to all the work that’s been going on recently at the old Newcastle Woolworths at 73-79 Clayton Street...

Former Woolworths (now Store Twenty One), South Shields (22 Sep 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Fashion Stores / Property / Retail History / Woolworths

September 23, 2011

As South Shields’ Woolies is filled, there’s good news for Byker and Wallsend too

Store Twenty One has opened its doors in South Shields today, meaning that the whole of the former Woolworths unit at 100-108 King Street (store...

Former Woolworths, Hitchin (22 Sep 2011). Photograph by Steve Hack

Fashion Stores / Market Towns / Property / Variety Stores / Woolworths

September 23, 2011

Peacocks and Poundland get ready to open in Hitchin’s former Woolworths

Earlier in the week I mentioned how the former Woolworths in Newquay had been divided up between Poundland and Peacocks. Now the same process is...

Former Woolworths, Falmouth (19 Feb 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Outdoor Leisure / Property / Retail History / Variety Stores / Woolworths

September 21, 2011

The new occupants of Cornwall’s ex-Woolies – plus one that’s still empty

Having visited and photographed nearly 150 ex-Woolworths sites in the last three years (including 17 in the last week alone) – 50 of which are yet...

Wellchester's Claire Robertson (8 Sep 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Brands / Independent Stores / Interiors / Merchandising / Variety Stores / Woolworths

September 16, 2011

As Wellworths becomes Wellchester, Claire Robertson talks tweaking and expansion

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...

The store as BHS, Swindon (11 Sep 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Property / Retail History / Woolworths

September 15, 2011

Swindon’s former Woolworths store – past, present and an uncertain future

If you saw my earlier post about the shiny new BHS in Swindon, you might be wondering what happened to the retailer during the 18-month period...

New BHS, Swindon (11 Sep 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Brands / Fashion Stores / Property

September 15, 2011

Swindon’s BHS provides a taster of what Newcastle and Hartlepool can expect

While visiting Swindon’s out-of-town John Lewis at Home, I also managed to spent some time exploring the town centre. The open-air Parade shopping centre has the distinction...

Sheffield's existing John Lewis in Barker's Pool (18 Aug 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Department Stores / Property / Shopping Centres

September 13, 2011

As Stratford City opens, I check out John Lewis’s answers to the lack of other new schemes

As the vast Westfield Stratford City opens its doors today, it’s little wonder that most of Twitter’s retail commentators seem to have decamped to east London. With...