WOOLWORTHS was as British as fish and chips until the high street staple closed its doors for good over a decade ago.
However, new reports suggest that the retailer could once-again return to UK high streets.
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When its British shops closed in 2009, the brand in Germany, where it is known as Woolworth, was saved by HH Holding.
However, Woolworth’s Germany chief executive and ex-Aldi UK boss Roman Heini is leading an expansion of the store in Europe after becoming a hit in Germany.
Woolworth Germany has no connection to the now defunct UK retailer, but both brands once shared a parent with the US’s FW Woolworth.
Woolworths opened its first UK store in Liverpool in 1909, as a subsidiary of US parent company FW Woolworth.
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The original American firm was founded in 1879 when Frank Woolworth, a sales assistant, opened a shop in the state of Pennsylvania.
But Woolies, as it became known, officially came under British ownership in 1982 when it was acquired by Paternoster Stores Ltd.
Here’s everything you need to know about its potential return.
When is Woolworths likely to make a comeback?
Mr Heini has hinted that he wants to bring the chain back to the UK, but no potential return is guaranteed.
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Woolworth Germany said it was “unable to confirm any plans for Woolworth to return to the UK market” but that such a move was not ruled out in principle.
“Britain is on his bucket list, although nothing is imminent,” a spokesperson said, adding “but it may be in the mix for the mid- or long-term future“.
Will Woolworths have an online store?
After the UK chain’s high street collapse in 2009, Littlewoods owner Shop Direct bought the trademark and sold to customers online through Woolworth.com.
The company ran the retail website but closed it six years later in 2015 and merged it into its Very brand.
The German retailer does not currently sell products online in its home nation.
So, it remains unclear if the potential for the German brand’s expansion into the UK will include an online store.
Will Woolworths just open in the UK?
Woolworth, which does not sell online, has around 640 shops, almost all are located in Germany and a handful in Poland and Austria.
However, the retailer believes it can expand across a number of European nations.
The chain told Retail Week it “sees potential” to open around 5,000 stores across Europe.
When did Woolworths close?
Woolworths fell into administration in 2008, with all 807 stores closing by January the following year.
The retailer, famous for its pick-n-mix sweetie selection, was a high street stalwart and sold a variety of products from kitchen supplies to gardening equipment and clothing.
People of a certain age still fondly remember the 1970s advertising jingle: “That’s the wonder of Woolworths.”
But Woolworths faced spiralling losses as online retail grew and the firm faced difficulties with its suppliers, according to reports.
It was laden with £385million of debt at the time of its collapse, which left more than 27,000 unemployed.
The sites closed in phases:
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- 207 on December 27, 2008
- 37 on December 29, 2008
- 164 on December 30, 2008
- 200 on January 3, 2009
- 199 on January 6, 2009
Most of the premises are now owned by other discount chains, including Poundland and Iceland, with the latter reportedly buying 51 of Woolworth’s former locations at the time of its collapse.
