woolies...great loss or good riddance

good riddance I say...am struggling to think of what the sold that was good...?

A loss. A definite loss to thousands of employees.

A loss. A definite loss to thousands of employees.

of course..but that happens...tragic as it is...

companies come and go...sad but true...

Yes, but there's nothing to celebrate IMO. At worst it was a shop you had to walk past to get to the bookies. It didn't need to intrude on your life if you chose not to go in, so how it is good riddance...?

Yes, but there's nothing to celebrate IMO. At worst it was a shop you had to walk past to get to the bookies. It didn't need to intrude on your life if you chose not to go in, so how it is good riddance...?

i did not quite mean it like that...i mean good riddance as in...will it be missed..i was a tad harsh for the titles sake...

thinking about it..im surprised it lasted as long as it did...was a god awful shop that did not change with the times for too long...

I sort of agree with your second sentence. It was stuck in the 70s almost, for far too long, and the new catalogue system (which was actually good) came too late.

I sort of agree with your second sentence. It was stuck in the 70s almost, for far too long, and the new catalogue system (which was actually good) came too late.

how many times did you really buy many goods in there..?

maybe passing through, a dvd, pick n mix or a cheapo toy..

offered nothing really...

Exactly that.. The odd DVD or CD if I was in Eastleigh and Sainsbury/Tesco were out of it.

Oh, and a 32" LCD TV 2 Christmasses ago that was on a cracking offer.

Exactly that.. The odd DVD or CD if I was in Eastleigh and Sainsbury/Tesco were out of it.

 

Oh, and a 32" LCD TV 2 Christmasses ago that was on a cracking offer.

Grundig? Daewoo? Bush?

Grundig? Daewoo? Bush?

What makes me laugh is that they just built a brand new store in Bitterne... whoever decided to do that with their current state should be shot, could have given them another week.

It's quite a big loss to Woolston.

Woolston has clearly nothing to offer. Now the people from Woolston will have to travel to town to buy their music cds, dvds, games, mobile phones, and other electrical items.

Woolston will suffer from this. as this store does get a fair amount of customers

I sort of agree with your second sentence. It was stuck in the 70s almost, for far too long, and the new catalogue system (which was actually good) came too late.

Could almost apply to the Royal Navy I know let them go bankrupt and sack all their staff

I mean in these troubled times with the UK finances what a drain they are to ordinary tax payers.

Tax payers that are getting less and less btw

i did not quite mean it like that...i mean good riddance as in...will it be missed..i was a tad harsh for the titles sake...

 

thinking about it..im surprised it lasted as long as it did...was a god awful shop that did not change with the times for too long...

Survived merely because it had such a wide range of luxury items. When people are getting a bit tighter with money, they spend less on luxury items, and that which they do spend usually goes to a specialist shop where you are more likely to get it cheaper (e.g getting a TV from Currys instead).

Could almost apply to the Royal Navy I know let them go bankrupt and sack all their staff

I mean in these troubled times with the UK finances what a drain they are to ordinary tax payers.

Tax payers that are getting less and less btw

My thoughts exactly, then we'll see the sailor boy whinge because he's got two mortgages to pay.

Merry Christmas DD, you miserable old curmudgeon :smt012

My thoughts exactly, then we'll see the sailor boy whinge because he's got two mortgages to pay.

 

Merry Christmas DD, you miserable old curmudgeon :smt012

one mortgage by the way..was lucky enough to play the property game early enough...

as for the navy...yes, make it go bankrupt, I would surely get a huge pay off from the government...as you do with public services...

the payoffs in the 90's when they had a huge round of cuts were very attractive....if they offered me the right sum, I would be off like a shot..

Actually as someone who had a steady job ( established civil servant ) for 27 years I had an attitude

very similar to DD. However since moving to NZ I have been made redundant 3 times and my

attitude has changed somewhat I confess. Finding a job at any age over 30 has been quite

difficult even in good times but now...... well I feel very sorry and concerned for people like the

soon to be ex Woolworths staff.

Oh yes and I didn't get redundancy payments and couldn't claim any "dole" either

as my wife is in full time employment Thank Goodness.

Woolies in Woolston brings back some memories for me

I remember, when I was about 8, saving up my pocket money to get my mother a present for Mother's Day.

I bought her a really garish brooche that formed the word 'Mother' and was covered in blue, red and green glass bits. It was terrible, although I didn't think so at the time.

Bless her, she wore it for ages

ASDA will buy Woolies and turn them into mini ASDA stores.

FACT!

Woolies in Woolston brings back some memories for me

 

I remember, when I was about 8, saving up my pocket money to get my mother a present for Mother's Day.

 

I bought her a really garish brooche that formed the word 'Mother' and was covered in blue, red and green glass bits. It was terrible, although I didn't think so at the time.

 

Bless her, she wore it for ages

Are Woolworths really celebrating 250 years serving the public? If true, a very sad loss ...

Are Woolworths really celebrating 250 years serving the public? If true, a very sad loss ...

You *****

Are Woolworths really celebrating 250 years serving the public? If true, a very sad loss ...

99 years to be very exact.

It's quite a big loss to Woolston.

Woolston has clearly nothing to offer. Now the people from Woolston will have to travel to town to buy their music cds, dvds, games, mobile phones, and other electrical items.

Woolston will suffer from this. as this store does get a fair amount of customers

As it is in Totton....outside of several Indian/Chinese take away's, half a dozen charity shops, a zillian hairdressers.......Woolies was the only real shop aside from Asda's.

It's quite a big loss to Woolston.

Woolston has clearly nothing to offer. Now the people from Woolston will have to travel to town to buy their music cds, dvds, games, mobile phones, and other electrical items.

Woolston will suffer from this. as this store does get a fair amount of customers

And now Adams has closed, will the last person out of Woolston turn off the light :-( All we have now are about 20 take aways, some charity shops and Boots/Superdrug. How long before they close? The regeneration scheme cannot come soon enough, but who needs thousands of flats in the current economic climate?

The regeneration scheme cannot come soon enough, but who needs thousands of flats in the current economic climate?

All those people who have lost their homes as a result of losing their job having to turn to association housing

I wandered into a store to look for a calendar just before Christmas, which was I think my first visit since the turn of the millenium. Probably goes a bit to explaining why they went broke. There was just no reason to go in there.

Shame for the employees though.

About 10 years ago Woolies was the number one retailer of music, DVD and toys in the country. In those categories they were an incredibly important retailer who got the best terms and the best service from suppliers. Across the country their shops are all in High St (so expensive) locations, but for many small towns they were the only toy / entertainment / kids clothes retailer. Unfortunately the growth in power and influence of the supermarkets in these key non food categories destroyed Woolies market position, along with the rise of the internet retailers and of music downloads which took away the singles buying market.

Woolies did not adapt to the new competition and that's why they have failed. They could have taken on the grocers by adding a limited convenience food category to their stores, they could have taken on the cheap clothes retailers had they expanded beyond just kids clothes or they could have brought in franchises like a department store to give themselves diversity.

Shame really but the end was inevitable and I guess for the majority of the country it will be no great loss.

I went into a branch in Chelmsford at the weekend to have a look at what was left over when a member of staff handed me a large carrier bag and told me I could fill it up for a fiver as they were waiting to close. I ended up with £1300 worth of stuff (at woolies prices, prolly under a grand everywhere else, but still a bargain).

It is all **** though, and all going on ebay.

The one in Shirley was still open today,reduced to a load of boxes in the middle of a shell of a store. Still,I got the Courteeners album for a quid. When I discover it's **** I can use it as a coaster...

I went into a branch in Chelmsford at the weekend to have a look at what was left over when a member of staff handed me a large carrier bag and told me I could fill it up for a fiver as they were waiting to close. I ended up with £1300 worth of stuff (at woolies prices, prolly under a grand everywhere else, but still a bargain).

It is all **** though, and all going on ebay.

what sort of shiiiiiiiiiiite you got mate?

ASDA will buy Woolies and turn them into mini ASDA stores.

 

FACT!

The Woolies in Leamington Spa has been bought by H&M and opens in the Spring.

FACT!

Also the MFI in Leamington Spa has been bought by Primark, that has cheered my daughter up meaning I won't have to transport her to Coventry!

No buyer for the Adams shop yet.

A huge loss..Woolies have been around long before the highstreets were invented or shopping centres..our towns and cities will never be the same, a lot of new investers in city centres looked at the situation positively if there was a Woolies around close by.

The Woolies in Leamington Spa has been bought by H&M and opens in the Spring.

 

FACT!

 

Also the MFI in Leamington Spa has been bought by Primark, that has cheered my daughter up meaning I won't have to transport her to Coventry!

 

No buyer for the Adams shop yet.

Surely you mean that has cheered you up? Unless your daughter thinks it's uncool being with you in your car of course.

Sad for me, they sold the glasses I like that I can't find anywhere else.

Sad for me, they sold the glasses I like that I can't find anywhere else.

Each to their own Jilly...

Woolies in Woolston brings back some memories for me

 

I remember, when I was about 8, saving up my pocket money to get my mother a present for Mother's Day.

 

I bought her a really garish brooche that formed the word 'Mother' and was covered in blue, red and green glass bits. It was terrible, although I didn't think so at the time.

 

Bless her, she wore it for ages

My late dad would come back with angel cake for us hungry kids from Woolies in Woolston.....the tears.

I do think its sad. If you think about it, the more bought online (where I do most of my shopping) the less is required in the high street. This must be a factor.

Each to their own Jilly...

 

Not quite, I meant drinking glasses.

My late dad would come back with angel cake for us hungry kids from Woolies in Woolston.....the tears.

 

I do think its sad. If you think about it, the more bought online (where I do most of my shopping) the less is required in the high street. This must be a factor.

It's a standard bad bricks and clicks scenario for Woolies. Clicks, you can get most electrical and music stuff etc they sell online cheaper. Bricks, they are undercut for practical ad hoc domestic goods sales by the likes of Wilkinsons.

Worst of both worlds and they couldn't survive on sales of toffees.

Not quite, I meant drinking glasses.

Apologies

It's a standard bad bricks and clicks scenario for Woolies. Clicks, you can get most electrical and music stuff etc they sell online cheaper. Bricks, they are undercut for practical ad hoc domestic goods sales by the likes of Wilkinsons.

 

Worst of both worlds and they couldn't survive on sales of toffees.

I take your point and I reckon you are correct. Still a sad day though.

I take your point and I reckon you are correct. Still a sad day though.

Try and remember they were an American company originally. It will make you feel better. I'm sure you wouldn't feel too sad if McDs went bust!

Crazy prices in basingstoke woolworths today. Got a james cd - 40p Magicians(the mitchell and webb film, dunno if it's any good) - 70p and some nice new headphones - 40p

Went to Woolies in Devizes, and got Ryan Adams' album Easy Tiger on a whim for £1. Having listened to it once I'm extremely pleased with the purchase.

The rumour is that our store will become an Iceland - not sure I believe that though, as the town's Iceland was only bought out two years ago to become an M&S Simply Food, and we already have 6 supermarkets for 10,000 people. It's hard to say what would be suitable to replace it.

Even so, sad to it close for the last time, and especially sad for the people who've lost their jobs as a result.

I've got the green light to turn the Shirley one into a crackhouse.

I'm old enough to remember the dark mahogany counters, from yesteryear, with the glass partitions carrying the sweet and other goods. When my Mum first took me into a Woolworths [shirley], I was able to stand under one of the counters at my full height. The last time I remember those old counters, they were at waist level. Then IMO, Woolies tried to be the same as everyone else, and lost their uniqueness. They are a shop without a market of their own, and that has been their downfall. It's always a bit sad to see an old institution fade away, but not the one Woolies evolved into.

EDIT: I will froth at the mouth if the site becomes anything to do with Tesco..!

I'm old enough to remember the dark mahogany counters, from yesteryear, with the glass partitions carrying the sweet and other goods. When my Mum first took me into a Woolworths [shirley], I was able to stand under one of the counters at my full height. The last time I remember those old counters, they were at waist level. Then IMO, Woolies tried to be the same as everyone else, and lost their uniqueness. They are a shop without a market of their own, and that has been their downfall. It's always a bit sad to see an old institution fade away, but not the one Woolies evolved into.

 

EDIT: I will froth at the mouth if the site becomes anything to do with Tesco..!

They changed the counters because of thieving little urchins like you sneaking around the back St Landrew. You were the first of the breed and you owe society answers.

I'm going to "Meh" at this question. It's no great loss, but it was a place I could pick up a cheap DVD player or Freeview box for someone for cheap.

My sister was happy with her DVD player, and it saved me a fortune.

Now you lot out there are not a bad bunch but I'm really surprised by the self centred attitudes of those who will not see that people are losing their jobs through this. Just, for a few seconds in your hectic lives, stop and think about the people who were a one income family and are now a no income family. That probably they will need to claim benefits until they can find employment.

Cue the 'bl00dy scroungers' comments now!

I think it's really quite sad that Woolworths has gone forever. I spent a few weeks working at the Winchester branch under the project trident work experience scheme when i was at school in the 80's. Good times.

Recently they were a retailer that, while not specialising in anything, had a decent range of handy stuff at good prices and their CD sales always through up a few bargains. It's sad to see them go and i'll miss not being able to pop into the Shirley branch.

During their last few days it was also sad to see the committed staff being harrassed by a few vulture like tossers in the stores, complaining about anything they could, when the staff knew their time was almost up (and at Christmas too) and echoing ESB sentiments, it's dreadfully sad to see so many redundancies. I hope they get some luck with finding other work in these troubled times.

They've been failing for years for all I'm concerned. All their cheap products were absolutely crappy and shouldn't be bought because of terrible quality, and all their expensive products were well over priced. It's companies that do something different - like M&S that would be a loss IMO. Wilkinsons and Argos do pretty much exactly the same job as Woolworths so I won't be missing them as a store, but it's a shame that a company that has been going for so many years has crumbled - the highstreet definitely won't feel the same - but I don't really think there is a market for selling cheap crap these days when you've got the internet.