BS: All (UK) Woolworths stores to close

Subject: BS: All Woolworths stores to close
From: GUEST,Comrac
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 11:38 AM

All Woolworth stores will close in January. An end of an era.

What memories do you have of a store that was a childhood memory to all of us.

Do you recall Woolworths own brand of toys ? "Chad Valley". I got my first clockwork trainset here, and a Chad Valley monkey, always bought my Airfix kits here and my blank audio cassettes.

Their own brand of very glossy paint "Household"

As for sweets, "Pick and mix".

Most of all I recall buying "Love me do" by the Beatles, it was on a red label.

Happy days, thank you Wollies for happy memories.

The news today.

All Woolworths stores will close in the New Year after a massive Christmas sale.

Administrators Deloitte said the all 807 branches of the high street giant will shut by January 5, with 22,000 permanent staff and 5,000 temporary workers affected.

The firm said it has received interest from alternative retailers for more than 300 Woolworths stores.

Deloitte will flood stores with 50 million extra items over the next week in the final run-up to Christmas. Discounts already running at up to 60 per cent will be even heavier as the administrator looks to clear stock.

Last week shoppers formed huge queues and stripped shelves at a closing-down sale following the failure to find a buyer for the struggling firm.

Woolworths has been in business for almost a century but was forced to call in administrators three weeks ago as debts and losses mounted in a worsening high street climate.

Deloitte has held talks with the likes of former Woolworths chief executive Sir Geoff Mulcahy and Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis but no deals have been struck.

Signs in stores will show a countdown to their final closure dates to encourage shoppers as Woolies' staff brace themselves for redundancies.