Reply to: How would you make Woolworths successful again?

[SueEllen]

Yep!

Wollies problem for the past 15 years has been that their stores are too f-ing big for the low cost stuff that they sell. They should have got into franchising out their space to other people. Too late now

tim

Woolies main problem is that they didn't have a focus. You can sell cheap goods but you need to pile them high, sell them cheap and not have empty shelves for more than an hour. Woolies had empty shelves for weeks.

Where I live and have lived in London because there have been Wilkinsons and/or independent department stores there has been no need to go into Woolworths to get random things.

Also their stores where/are located in the worse positions on the high street - away from the centre so unless you were going to a specialist shop nearby you had no reason to go there.

[Sysman]

I don't think it's right to compare WH Smiths with Woolworths, because WHS do have a range of stock that you don't really find elsewhere. WHS is the first place you go to (or at least I go to) if you want a large range of magazines, or if you need to buy some Jiffy bags, and so forth.

And you have just reminded me that WH Smith are wholesale newsagents, i.e it is quite likely that they supply your local newsagent.

[Trev16v]

I don't think it's right to compare WH Smiths with Woolworths, because WHS do have a range of stock that you don't really find elsewhere. WHS is the first place you go to (or at least I go to) if you want a large range of magazines, or if you need to buy some Jiffy bags, and so forth.

[tim123]

Probably unrealistic (knowing how councils like to clamp down on new ideas that may be successful) - but I'd convert the stores into indoor markets, open 7 days a week. If you want a stall you pay 70 a day. collect £7k daily from 100 stores. Would that cover the rent and rates?

Of course some days would be less popular than others, so maybe not the best idea???

Yep!

Wollies problem for the past 15 years has been that their stores are too f-ing big for the low cost stuff that they sell. They should have got into franchising out their space to other people. Too late now

tim

[DodgyAgent]

It is also keeping the Chavs off the shopping high street.

[expat]

The kindest thing about this recession is that it put Woolworths out of its misery.

Companies that don't work are supposed to fail.

We tend to think of those companies that were always around when we were young as being part of the fabric of society, but they are not. Few companies survive as long as the shareholders that own them or the customers that use them.

[expat]

Woolies don't own their stores and that was part of their problem and why their sale to a 3rd party fell through. To be honest I'm suprised they lasted as long as they did. They sold bits of everything but not a lot of anything. They sold CD's but didn't have the range of HMV etc. They sold clothes but didn't do a huge range of that either. They sold toys but didn't have the range of say Toys R Us - the list goes on.

My bet is WH Smiths will be next as Waterstones and Borders do books better.

I've not bought anything from either of these stores in years.

It's true about Woolworths: there is practically nothing you'd want to buy where you would have said "Woolworths is the place to go for that". It was always after you had failed to find some item, you'd say "Woolworths might have it...".

WH Smiths: I dont believe they are still competing with Waterstones and Borders, or with Amazon. Our High St WHS doesn't do many books any more. They do papers, magazines, sweets, snacks, stationery, cards, gifts.....

[DodgyAgent]

Woolies don't own their stores and that was part of their problem and why their sale to a 3rd party fell through. To be honest I'm suprised they lasted as long as they did. They sold bits of everything but not a lot of anything. They sold CD's but didn't have the range of HMV etc. They sold clothes but didn't do a huge range of that either. They sold toys but didn't have the range of say Toys R Us - the list goes on.

My bet is WH Smiths will be next as Waterstones and Borders do books better.

I've not bought anything from either of these stores in years.

Dont bet on WHSmith they are run by a very strong management team and their stores may not sell products in depth but they skim and sell the popular products. Woolies sold any old trash in a random and illogical manner.

Waterstones hold stocks of books that hardly anyone will buy thus exposing themselves with a lack of diversity.

The kindest thing about this recession is that it put Woolworths out of its misery.

[Mich the Tester]

Turn them into car supermarkets to sell the remaining stocks of the next big names to go bust, General Motors/Vauxhall, Chrysler and Ford. Buy one, get one free.

[Sysman]

My bet is WH Smiths will be next as Waterstones and Borders do books better.

Do WH Smith still have a near monopoly in train stations and airports? Plenty of cash there, but they could probably let the high street shops go.

"The best place to open a proper bookshop is next to WH Smug"
- My neighbour in 1986.

[BoredBloke]

Woolies don't own their stores and that was part of their problem and why their sale to a 3rd party fell through. To be honest I'm suprised they lasted as long as they did. They sold bits of everything but not a lot of anything. They sold CD's but didn't have the range of HMV etc. They sold clothes but didn't do a huge range of that either. They sold toys but didn't have the range of say Toys R Us - the list goes on.

My bet is WH Smiths will be next as Waterstones and Borders do books better.

I've not bought anything from either of these stores in years.

[BrilloPad]

I would buy high and sell low.

HTH

[_V_]

Turn them into soup kitchens and doss houses ready for the coming great depression.

[NetwkSupport]

Probably unrealistic (knowing how councils like to clamp down on new ideas that may be successful) - but I'd convert the stores into indoor markets, open 7 days a week. If you want a stall you pay 70 a day. collect £7k daily from 100 stores. Would that cover the rent and rates?

Of course some days would be less popular than others, so maybe not the best idea???

I had a stall a few years ago in Camden market which is one of the busiest and they only charged £45 on a saturday which was thr busiest of the week. I think the idea is flawed.

[Trev16v]

Over the last few years in the town where I live, they've gone absolutely bloody mad building new superstores on land that was once a convenient parking space for the public. So yes, now that our Woolworths will be going, your idea of turning it into a car park is an amusingly good one.