I remember Woolworths from my childhood in Worcester, Massachusetts. F.W. Woolworth was credited with being a marketing genius (sorry Aunty Wainwright). He carried a good selection of just about everything you would need to set up housekeeping. He didn't cater to the Cuisinart crowd, nor to the dollar store crowd, but had a good selection of good quality serviceable merchandise. I don't know what caused its' demise, but Woolworths went out of business in the US first. Huh? They were closing stores overseas when an employee from a German store recognized its value, bought the remnants of the chain, and began pressing its numbers back up. If I remember right, it was down to about 70 stores when he started and was over 200 in 2019. In 2019, I visited a Woolworths store in Verden Germany (pronounced Fairden). It even smelled like the Woolworths I remember from my childhood. The luncheon counter no longer exists, no tobacco products, the pet department no longer stocked rodents, reptiles, goldfish or poultry, instead now only offers pet food and kitty litter. They have kept pace with technology and offer universal TV remotes as well as cell phone and computer accessories. It was a lovely trip down memory lane.
This year (2023), in June, I visited their newest store in Northern Germany. Sadly, they had packed too much store into too small of a space. The store felt cluttered and visually confusing. Even though there weren't many customers, it felt overcrowded. I didn't stay even long enough to look for suntan oil.
Fortunately, Woolworths withstood COVID. The question is whether it can withstand the greed driven impetus of online marketing.
I hope for the best for them! I also hope it makes its way through the tunnel!