About 1986. Woolies in Cambridge. The most basic Black & Decker going. I think it was about a tenner. Single speed. Or slidey switch (which soon learnt to slide itself at inappropriate moments) to make extra noise (and supposedly add hammer action). Self undoing chuck.
See that's where Woolies went wrong - they stopped selling c***loads of s*** tools.
They used to have quite a reasonable shelf full of electrical wiring accessories, and reasonably priced. That gradually dwindled down to nothing. Walking through there a couple of weeks back, and seeing the lady's toolkits (complete with pink handled hammers and screwdrivers), you realise they've completely lost the plot.
This isn't the first time they've been in trouble. Probably 10 to 15 years ago, they had to sell off all their largest high street stores, which meant they vanished from many prime shopping towns. These largest stores had franchised out all their sales areas to different retail companies, which didn't seem to work for them. They retained the medium sized stores in the smaller towns where they hadn't done this.
I'm still puzzled why Alan Sugar bought a load of their shares when they plumetted a few months back. Keep thinking he's going to pull a surprise of of the hat.
Agreed. I can't think of a single reason to go into Woolies. Wilkinsons seen to have taken over their market niche.
Went into our local one a few weeks ago. Then thought "WTF am I doing here?", and left. Probably never to return (whether I want to or not, it seems).
The things they used to sell:
o Crap stationery products o Cheap cheese and bacon o Vinyl (Weren't they at one time the biggest record shop in the country? Or is that my memory inventing things?) o Contact (Fablon-alike) o Ladybird kids clothes o Spud and cap guns
In message , Andrew Gabriel writes
Better hope it doesn't go wrong then
... or not
Where's that penny I dropped down the back of the sofa ?
Bags of broken biscuits. Yummy! Mum used to send me there for red leicester cheese for me dad's saturday evening dinner. As a 10 year old or summat like that I used to nick stuff from woolies. I remember they had a tools counter back when each counter had attendants in a space surrounded by counters. I pinched a tiny spirit level because it was shiny. Slipped it down my sleeve and did a runner. Tried again a week later to have it away with a mars bar. Got clocked by someone..put it back and did a linford christie.
Arthur
About the only thing there that they no longer sell (sold?) is the cheese and bacon. OK the Vinyl is now CDs and DVDs not records but still the modern equivalent. Think I saw cap guns in there the other day, spud guns have probably been outlawed as "unsafe".
Entertainment UK (EUK) is the UK's leading distributor of entertainment products, generating an annual turnover in excess of £1.5 billion - wholly owned subsidery of the Woolworths group and trades with WH Smith, Tesco, Zavvi (formerly Virgin), Sainsbury's, Asda, Woolworths and Morrisons.
They have a joint venture '2 Entertain' with BBC Worldwide who look to be in the running to aquire that bit. But the statement posted here is grim.
Interesting museum site here
I think (hope) someone will take Entertainment UK and keep that running as it is. It would be a better ending result than what's now left of the former American parent - the 'Foot Locker' sports shoe shop!
Basildon Bond, Platignum pens.
Won't miss that stuff. Next door did their whole fridge with flowery "Contact". Mum had it on a kitchen table with a worn out formica top.
The pattern wore off it and it shrank, as it shrank little nicks used to open up in it as gluey little "smiles". Later still it hardened where it was folded at the corners. :(
Derek
No you mention it, I can remember buying bell wire there as a child in the 1960s, cut off a reel. And cheap tools like a 1/11d hammer. And packets of stamps. But, as has been said on Working Lunch more than few times, it has lost its purpose and if it didn't exist no one would go out and invent it.
The Woolies in the market town where I live is the only place you can purchase cookware, childrens clothes (save for a small boutique where you pay 40 quid for a 12-18mth shirt), CDs, DVDs, video game hardware software and peripherals, power tools, glues, socket extension leads, sandpaper, Christmas lights. We'd miss it if it wasn't there. We use it every week. Especially for the children's section.
The alternative would be to drive to some out of town place, or perhaps bus or train into the nearest large town or city. Not exactly convenient.
The flumps and cola bottles are nice too :-)
I hope it survives.
Not to mention pic 'n mix!
The last time I visited one was recently - the dog had got through another football and I was shopping at a supermarket close to one, but not a sports store. They didn't have one on sale. Despite a largish toy etc section.
That and the supermarkets. I can't think of anything you can buy in Woolies that you can't buy in Asda, Tesco etc of any size.
Neil
It's exactly the same (Candy King) in Wilkinsons, so no worries there.
MBQ
In message , Neil Williams writes
The stapler that does furniture and yet has an attachment that lets you industrially staple wodges of paper.
I've not found anywhere else selling anything like this at a price I want to afford. Not even Staples.
Does no-one else print out stuff off the 'net that laughs at office staples?
Many of these stores amaze me. Woolies had lost the plot ages ago, her indoors tells me that the rescued Ethel Austin has no idea, and I really think the Dixons bunch must be getting pretty depressed. How come many of these stores seem to have lost the ability to put prices on the stuff on the shelves?
I do my best to print as little as possible. And, if bulk is occasionally required, I consider duplex and two-up options. Haven't got to "unstaple-able" in a few years!
Not pricing goods is a major problem. It is incredible that it is allowed - whether by the store, the trading standards or the customers. John Lewis just about pull themselves back from the edge by having scanners around the store. (Not an excuse but it is a process to correct a problem they have perceived.) But why virtually no-one else?
Not as good as it used to be years ago, range of sweets has shrunk, quality has diminished and the price has gone sky high. I was shocked how much a couple of handfulls of pick n mix costs nowdays. It would still be missed though. Dave.
He thinks the property is worth more than the debt? Unlike MFI which has closed, mostly, because it can't pay its rent.
There used to be three Woolworths in Leicester but for many years now there's only been one. I recall them having a wide range of stuff as a lad in the 1950s/'60s. As someone else said, Wilkos has moved into the old Woolies arena.
Anyone remember when the Americans sold up and the UK business became UK owned?
It is a VERY long time ago if there used to be 3. I can remember from the early 70's, and then there was only one. That shut down in the early-80's, they then opened another shop around 1987 And that one was shut nearly 2 years ago, January 2007. That store was always in the top 10 of Woolies national 'takings' league, and was the best performer regularly. They owned the building, someone made 'an offer they couldnt resist', so the shop was shut, even though it was profitable. The staff were rather miffed to be made redundant from a successful store. Alan.
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