The Wonder of Woolworths

Beechnut

I know what you mean. Going into town usually meant a wander around Woolies.
I wonder if we will look back fondly about B&M.

😂probably
I used to love Woolies and I now love B&M and Home Bargains.

I missed our Woolies when it closed down. I particularly liked their selection of Ladybird brand clothing in the children’s dept.

I remember not long before it finally closed I had taken my dear old Dad for some shopping there. My Dad was about 80.

We were at the checkout emptying the trolley onto the conveyor when a bargain basket nex to us caught my Dad’s eye. It was full of small white unmarked boxes slightly smaller than a cigarette packet.

Curiosity got the better of him while I was emptying the trolley and he opened one and pulled out a mini tampon. He dangled it by the string and said in a loud voice “what the hell is that? I kept my head down and carried on emptying the trolley 😆

I always associate Woolworths with shoplifting. If was rife, particularly the makeup and pick and mix.

Whilst on Holiday in Australia, there was a Woolworths there, they were very very big and stocked everything, much more than what our Woolworths used to have. It was an amazing experience, they had everything from books, make-up, clothes, DIY, sweets, Food, etc etc, too much to count. Excellent trip and an experience.

Beechnut

I know what you mean. Going into town usually meant a wander around Woolies.
I wonder if we will look back fondly about B&M.

Not really, think it’s expensive, especially since they did our store up

Woolworths here as well (NZ), a supermarket chain, linked somehow to the Australian one I think. Not the old Woolworths back in the 60’s, very sad when that closed, great for makeup, kitchen stuff, pantyhose, and Pic’nMix…. Loved the sweet counter.

My Saturday job was in Woolies which I thoroughly enjoyed once I got over being terrified. Initially attached to the biscuit counter later ‘promoted’ to haberdashery where I was relieved to escape the smell of the broken biscuits (quite nauseating after a long day). I learned to measure and enjoyed many a chat along the lines of ‘do you think these buttons…..’. . Working there did a lot for my mental arithmetic, boosted my confidence and gave me some welcome spending money. It was a happy if busy and disciplined place to be. I also learned to manage money. My Mum encouraged (insisted!) my pay be divided into three, a third to save, a third handed over as a contribution to the household and a third to spend. It seemed fair to me and was a sound lesson for life. Good times.

Still using towels inherited from Mum who died 20 years ago. Brand new, bought from Woolies, good quality, Mum’s attitude “They don’t eat anything, and if I don’t use them, they’ll come in for someone!”

And my hand held stick blender still works well, bought for a pound or two in the sale.

Often popped in and bought a few bits, tea towels etc.

Good quality stuff as well, not cheap rubbish.

my first ever lipstick was bought at Woolies Rimmel's creamy beige.

The store I miss so very much is Debenhams we seem to be missing a clothes shop for the middle age person. Plus all the make up concessions.

I was married in 1963. During our 12 month engagement my soon to be husband and I bought all our cutlery from Woolworths. We bought a few pieces each week of stainless steel with a pattern on the handle until we had full set of 12 of each item - Teaspoons, desert spoons, knives, forks, desert forks and serving spoons. They are really good quality.

I am still using the same cutlery today, I brought it to the US with me when I came over. Sometimes I talk to it and ask it questions like....are you the knife my daughter snatched out of my hand when she was 5? Are you the spoon that I used to feed my son his baby food? - I know, loopy, but it has so many memories.

started as Saturday job in local woolies, went on to work in their office, collecting till money balancing the books and ordering goods, all by hand ofcourse. Just an Oliveti adding machine to help!

I don't need to miss Woolies any more, because there is one in Flensburg only eight kilometres away from my house!

Believe it or not, they still have some of the Christmas decorations I remember from my childhood!

I used to buy 60 + years ago washing line loose by the yard for a skipping rope. Or it could have been electric cable? No it must have been washing line.
And the shop had a certain smell a mix of wooden floors, biscuits, cleaning products and packaging. Not unpleasant at all just very distinctive and different from the BHs next door.
I miss our local one which served me well as a young married and then parent. Lots of childrens clothes and toys a 5 minute walk away from home pushing the pram. Lovely memory. Especially in the sunshine with a white broderie anglais sunshade and baby with kicking legs.

I loved Woolies! There weren’t very many large stores in the area in which I grew up and it was always great to go there. I always loved collecting odd things and I have some lovely porcelain buttons I bought there as a child-too pretty to ever use. When I had my children my local Woolworths was great for toys, children’s clothes and household goods. I still have a butchers cart I bought there 30 odd years ago! I miss that shop and all the others. Thank goodness Wilko is (re)opening here this August. Can’t wait!

My mum worked in Woolies when I was a baby and we lived with her parents. I still have (age 72) six of the Christmas baubles she bought from them (glass of course) and the fairy for the top of the tree. She has had to have new knickers but otherwise is still the same!! The fairy, that is, not my mum!!!

Woolies featured large in my family. My mum worked there after she left school and continued to work there on an ad hoc basis until I was about 12.
Then I got a Saturday job there when I was 16. I remember about a dozen of us started at the same time and we were allocated our departments. I longed for haberdashery but instead got the pick and mix. My previous after school job in a newsagents apparently gave me 'experience' in sweets .

I miss Wonderful Woolies! My fav part was the pick and mix!

I also miss Debenhams and BHS, especially at Christmas.

Madmeg

My mum worked in Woolies when I was a baby and we lived with her parents. I still have (age 72) six of the Christmas baubles she bought from them (glass of course) and the fairy for the top of the tree. She has had to have new knickers but otherwise is still the same!! The fairy, that is, not my mum!!!

😂😂😂

I grew up in Blackpool and had a Saturday job in Woolies- not the flagship one, right on the prom, but a smaller one nestled amongst the b+b’s just off the seafront.
I always wanted to work on the record counter, but was usually on electricals- the number of men who used to come in and buy a single electric plug (39p) which of course back then (late 70’s) didn’t come attached to appliances, always surprised me. How many plugs did people need? Many it would seem!
Always worked over the Bank Holidays as the money was much improved- think it was double time on the Monday!

I used to save up money earned working Saturdays on a market stall selling nightwear and slippers, to spend on records in woolies, me and best friend Lorraine would look for the latest hits then go to buy some make up. I remember buying an orange lipstick and lurid green eye shadow.

In the 70s and 80s they had some very nice table ware and kitchen stuff. The fairy on my Christmas tree is a lovely one,with a china head and hands, that came from Woolworths 40 years ago.

You can't lie in the past, get over it.

Harsh comment! People are just reminiscing.

Our Christmas tree 🌲 was from woolies. I bought it about 40 years ago and it cost £30. A huge amount at the time for a plastic tree but it’s still looking good so money well spent,

@mabon1

Good memories are always worth visiting.
Nothing wrong with remembering the past, is as much a part of us as the present and the future.