Woolworths = T*ts Up

PostWoolworths = T*ts Up by **Cal** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:29 am

Woolworths shares are suspended

Shares in troubled retailer Woolworths have been suspended as the firm continues talks to rescue the business.

Woolworths said in a statement that it was in discussions over the potential sale of its 840 stores. The firm added that it was also in talks to sell its 40% stake in publisher 2 Entertain to BBC Worldwide, which already owns the other 60%. It warned that both deals needed the backing of its banks, and "there can be no assurance" they would be completed. BBC Worldwide is the BBC's commercial arm. It confirmed that it was talking to Woolworths over the possible purchase of the retailer's 2 Entertain holding.

Restructuring firm Hilco is said to want to buy the stores, but has so far refused to comment on the speculation. According to reports, Hilco has offered to buy the shops for £1, but so far cannot reach agreement on how much of Woolworth's £385m debt it will take on. Without some form of a deal, analysts say Woolworths faces the real risk of going into administration.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7749530.stm

Bit of a ballbag if they go under - Woolies are the only place locally (apart from a dodgy indy shop) that sells videogames.

Nooooooooooooo...o...o...o...o... ... !

where do you live? ur profile says London.. how can there be no other games shops.. it is LONDON...

Space Viking wrote:where do you live? ur profile says London.. how can there be no other games shops.. it is LONDON...

East London, towards Essex, so nowhere near the centre, although I do have the Central Line Underground at the bottom of my garden and it's just 40 minutes, without changing trains, into Oxford St. But the suburbs can be quite desolate, even in London...

I'm surprised this didn't happen years ago, as Woolworths is an appallingly organised chain. Jack of all trades, master of none. No focus, with terribly laid-out CD, DVD and videogames sections. Uncompetitive prices. No seeming understanding by the top brass of the market for the things they sell.

One texter to 5Live put it best: "Our local Woolies looks like a junk shop."

Why would anyone ever buy something from Woolies, when the likes of Zavvi (just to name one shop) have far better organised shelves? You know, things like chart items in a discernible order. New releases in a dedicated section. It's not rocket science.

Big game sale coming up!! In time for when I come back to the UK next week

Woolworths situation is interesting. I think the problem is these days is that they have no identity, they just try to sell everything which i think only works when they have a good sized store. The one in Northampton isn't big enough, you go in there but just don't know if they will stock what u r looking for, whilst their MK store is at least 2x the size and obviously the choice is much better.

Their chocolate selection is always good though. They usually sell Milka too.

Maybe if the shops weren't all grotty shitholes they'd be doing a bit better.

Woolies has been a shambolic shitpit for ages. I won't be sad if it went under.

Nevermind Woolworths, what about MFI? This is a disaster.

I haven't been in one since I was about 8. I remember them as depressing, scruffy places full of tat.

Mockmaster wrote:Nevermind Woolworths, what about MFI? This is a disaster.

MFI have been struggling for years, they nearly went under a few yrs back b4 being bought out, there was no way on earth that they could survive a downturn like this.

Eighthours wrote:I'm surprised this didn't happen years ago, as Woolworths is an appallingly organised chain. Jack of all trades, master of none. No focus, with terribly laid-out CD, DVD and videogames sections. Uncompetitive prices. No seeming understanding by the top brass of the market for the things they sell.

One texter to 5Live put it best: "Our local Woolies looks like a junk shop."

Why would anyone ever buy something from Woolies, when the likes of Zavvi (just to name one shop) have far better organised shelves? You know, things like chart items in a discernible order. New releases in a dedicated section. It's not rocket science.

Exactly this. Last time I went into a woolies was to buy GT prologue, as it was cheaper than everywhere else. Went to the pay desk (away way at the back of the sprawling store) only to be told they didn't actually have it in stock and to try back later in the week. Why have lots of display boxes if you don't have it in stock?

The household goods section, yeah, that is over there, sandwiched between the stationary section and the section that time forgot.

Last time I bought something from Woolworths was a 'Penny Racer' circa 1984. :lol:

Be honest most Supermarkets carry all the goods that Woolworths do. They cant compete with them, so they are done for.

I only really but chocloate and drinks from Woolies. Places like WH Smith charge a lot more. I also know people who work at Wooloworths so I'll be happy to see them out of work. banana splits.

Doesn't PeterCrisp work at Woolworths? Sorry about the news if so.

Edit: And while we're at it where Woolies went off the rails was in the 1990s. Boots, WHSmiths and Woolworths used to be pretty similar, selling allsorts before the supermarkets moved in. Boots returned to focusing on pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, WHSmith focused more on stationary and books (although, I think that they could be next). Woolies just continued selling everything and, as result of supermarket competition, sold it badly.

Last edited by Hexx on Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

new*allusion wrote:Doesn't PeterCrisp work at Woolworths? Sorry about the news if so.

Unemployed 40 year old virgin.

Anyhoo. Woolworths. An oddity. I have good memories from being a kid, but they've generally be bad for years.

They sell a wide mix of items in one location, but they specialise in nothing, so don't have the same "Deals" on music/games/books or choice as "specific" retailers.

Also the diversification of shops like Supermarkets means that anything can now be bought cheaper else were than Woolworth's and still "under one roof"

If I wanted to get a, say, cheap mug set I might used to have looked in Woolworths, now I'll get Sainsbury's basics. 99p for 6 funky mugs? Bargin 8-)

just yesterday, i commented to my brother how rubbish the Woolworths we passed in Walthamstow Market was..

it doesent help that the whole of Walthamstow is now a gooseberry fool hole.. but that Woolworths hasnt been touched since 1991. the stuff is getting like cheap tatty £1 shops.. they sell whatever they have in..

HMV: DVDs - Music
Smiths: Magazines - Stationary - DVDs
BHS: Furnishing - Clothes
Woolworths: ?

Woolworths is the only place i can find that sells beef monster much in seperatly. However the last 3 times ive gone in theyve been out of stock.

Also I (my mum) bought my first ever games console from woolworths, the SNES.

OnlyShallow wrote:
Eighthours wrote:I'm surprised this didn't happen years ago, as Woolworths is an appallingly organised chain. Jack of all trades, master of none. No focus, with terribly laid-out CD, DVD and videogames sections. Uncompetitive prices. No seeming understanding by the top brass of the market for the things they sell.

One texter to 5Live put it best: "Our local Woolies looks like a junk shop."

Why would anyone ever buy something from Woolies, when the likes of Zavvi (just to name one shop) have far better organised shelves? You know, things like chart items in a discernible order. New releases in a dedicated section. It's not rocket science.

Exactly this. Last time I went into a woolies was to buy GT prologue, as it was cheaper than everywhere else. Went to the pay desk (away way at the back of the sprawling store) only to be told they didn't actually have it in stock and to try back later in the week. Why have lots of display boxes if you don't have it in stock?

The household goods section, yeah, that is over there, sandwiched between the stationary section and the section that time forgot.

Wow i had exactly the same experience last week, I saw Halo 3 for 17.99, there were 6 boxes, took it too the till and after 5 mins of searching he said that they didn't have it in stock. :roll:

Woolworths = T*ts Up

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