The original five and dime, an American export, failed to keep up with times, experts say

The original five and dime, an American export, failed to keep up with times, experts say

By SHELLEY EMLING

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Saturday, December 27, 2008

London — Just shy of its 100th birthday in this country, a beloved U.S. import — Woolworths — is about to vanish.

An enduring fondness for the retail chain’s mix of clothing and housewares — not to mention its popular pick-n-mix sweets counter — has kept it afloat here more than a decade after the business disappeared from the United States.

But the global credit crisis and changing consumer tastes forced Woolworths to file for a form of bankruptcy here last month. The administrators for the collapsed chain, Deloitte & Touche, launched a going-out-of-business sale recently after failing to attract a buyer.

Employees have struggled to keep shelves restocked as bargain hunters have poured into the chain’s 815 stores, eager to take advantage of 50 percent discounts.

One day recently at a Woolworths in Putney, a London suburb, some shelves were empty and clothing and other merchandise was strewn on the floor after being picked over by frenzied customers.

Everywhere, buyers were eager to find bargains. For example, a play kitchen set that was once about $91 had been marked down to about $36. Video games once priced at about $60 had been marked down to less than half that.

Carolyn Fincham was just one customer who said she was sad to see the stores go.

“Woolworths was a place I could go to get just about anything, whether it was shoes or socks or a last-minute birthday gift,” she said. “It’s just a real shame it won’t be around any more.”

Many Britons remember buying their first vinyl single record at a Woolworths. Many mothers say it was where they bought their child’s first school uniform. In recent years, Woolworths became one of the first sellers of Halloween costumes and decorations in Britain. Often it was children who packed the stores on weekends, seeking to spend money on toys and candy.


Remember F.W. Woolworth store located on E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
just to the right of where Parker's on Ponce is now located.
This is a photo/drawing of Decatur's F.W. Woolworth when they did a remodel for the store front.