You're right, it fact many of their old stores were taken over by B&M & Home Bargains and the like
Wilko
- Thread starter Amos Hames 2
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True. Our local B&M is in the very store that, a few years before, used to be Woolworths.
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They were once known as Wilkinsons, but most folks called them Wilkos anyway, so they just followed suit. The same went for Marks and Spencer changing to M&S.
Seymour Upperthong
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The closest thing we've had in the US to Woolworths is/was a chain called 'Bed Bath and Beyond'. Like Woolworths, you could start with a shopping cart at one end and leave with pots, pans, flatware, dishes, table cloth , curtains, towels, bedding, coffeemaker, microwave, air fryer, toaster, vacuum cleaner, toothbrush, razor, etc.; in short, everything you would need besides furniture and major appliances to set up housekeeping. Product quality was at the very least acceptable (no dollar store junk) and they also carried a small selection for the Cuisinart crowd. Like Woolworths, you didn't have to dig too deeply into your wallet to avail yourself of BB&B. BB&B stores were quite a bit bigger than Woolworths, but that was because of greater selection.
I think the demise of this store chain was some very bad management decisions taken during COVID, which left them vulnerable to predatory online competition.
I don't remember sweets at Woolworths, but I do miss Turbo Brew coffee from BB&B. I can just hear Auntie now directing Eli to walk boldly with his placards into Bed Bath and Beyond and not buy anything but to bluff them...
I think the demise of this store chain was some very bad management decisions taken during COVID, which left them vulnerable to predatory online competition.
I don't remember sweets at Woolworths, but I do miss Turbo Brew coffee from BB&B. I can just hear Auntie now directing Eli to walk boldly with his placards into Bed Bath and Beyond and not buy anything but to bluff them...
You can now officially add Wilko to that list......
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Bora Natty
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We has a couple of other stores along the line of Woolworth's, McCrory's and G.C. Murphy's come to mind. Then we had the advent of the Dollar stores, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, on and on and I guess they're the equivalent of your pound stores? Too bad these stores are gone, I liked them all . The Dollars stores have some useful things, but Woolworth's they ain't..
Bora Natty
Dedicated Member
We had a couple of stores very similar to Woolworth's. There was McCroy's and G.C. Murphy's. I miss them too. We now have Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and Dollar this and Dollar that. I guess all much like your Pound stores? They serve their purpose I reckon, but I miss the aforementioned stores..
It's sad that 1200 jobs will be lost but I used to work at Wilko and it wasn't a great place to work.How sad. Another household name gone from our lives.
Perhaps things started going wrong for them when they lost you from the payroll
Amos Hames 2
Dedicated Member
The Trouble with my Local Wilko was they just never had anything in stock. I end up going to places like B&M or Home Bargains. But it's been good for getting paint as it's much cheaper than Homebase
They were discussing Wilko on the radio today, it's still owned by the same family after 90 or so years. So sad....
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
Ah the heady days of selecting a record handing it to the assistant and they instruct you that you can listen to it in booth 3 absolutely brilliant I to miss them. Although Windows remains in its original home the beautiful Central Arcade in Newcastle no booths but they still sell vinyl and cd's plus they are always the place to go to buy or hire musical instruments.
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We used to find good prices on printer cartridges and stationery, which were much better than our alternatives, Ryman's or online
Moggie Moo
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B&M took over our Woolworths in Pudsey. I think our nearest Wilko might be Batley or Cleckheaton. There might be one at Wortley and Possibly Shipley, but don't use the stores anyway. Before I retired I used to make some of their cleaning products.
Moggie Moo
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WE had WOODS music shop, everything from a grand Piano to a guitar plectrum. Remember listening to Mungo Jerry's "46 and on" EP in one of the booths on a rainy Saturday afternoon
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We also had a Wilko, but they closed about a year ago. Their store is now occupied by MaxiDeals, with our nearest Wilkos in Melton Mowbray, about 12 miles away.
On the subject of old stores, this popped up on YouTube, I fancy the York Music Centre at a mere £139!!!!
Bora Natty
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So cool, thanks Barry!