Woolworths was a high-street variety retail chain, founded in 1909 by Frank Winfield Woolworth as the British division of the American F.W. Woolworth Company.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Woolworth had engaged in rapid nationwide expansion, becoming one of the country's largest retailers. It also operated Woolworth divisions internationally, such as in Ireland. In the 1960s, the retailer introduced its Woolco hypermarket stores. In 1982, Woolworth separated from its American parent when it was purchased by Paternoster Stores Ltd, which would become Kingfisher plc. The sale included B&Q which Woolworth had previously acquired. In 1984, Woolworth became Woolworths.

In June 2001, Woolworths split from Kingfisher plc and became Woolworths Group PLC, including MVC, VCI Group (later known as 2Entertain), Entertainment UK, Streets Online, Chad Valley and Ladybird. The Woolworths Group later included Total Home Entertainment and Bertrams.

On 26 November 2008, the Woolworths and Entertainment UK subsidiaries entered administration. Deloitte closed all 807 Woolworths shops between 27 December 2008 and 6 January 2009, resulting in 27,000 job losses. Woolworths Group plc entered administration on 27 January 2009. In February 2009, Shop Direct Group (later known as The Very Group) purchased the Woolworths brand and website, which continued as an online-only business, until its closure in June 2015, when it was merged into Very.co.uk.

In May 2021, the former German division of the F.W. Woolworth Company, Woolworth GmbH, acquired the British and Irish Woolworths brand and website from The Very Group for an undisclosed sum.

History Establishment of the business

The British branch of the F. W. Woolworth Company, which had been founded in Pennsylvania, F. W. Woolworth & Co. Ltd, was founded by Frank Woolworth in Liverpool, England, on 5 November 1909. Frank Woolworth allegedly had ancestry in Woolley, Cambridgeshire – Frank claimed he had traced his ancestry through the Pilgrim Fathers to a small "farm in middle England".Woolworths Group Plc., et al. (2006). "The Woolworths Virtual Museum - The European connection - Frank Woolworth's second home" – "As he grew older it was fashionable for Americans to trace their ancestry - particularly if they could trace their roots back to the "old country" - England or Ireland. ... Frank's research indicated a strong link with Woolley, Cambridgeshire and he used to claim that he could trace his line back through the Pilgrim Fathers to a farm in middle England." When Frank eventually travelled to England in 1890, he docked in Liverpool and travelled by train to Stoke-on-Trent for the purchase of china and glassware for Woolworth's ranges, but also noted his love of England in his diary and his aspirations for bringing the Woolworth name to England:

During the buying trip, Woolworth met a young clerk, William Lawrence Stephenson, who was recommended to him by John Wanamaker. Wanamaker had established a large chain of department stores across the United States and was one of Woolworth's heroes. Stephenson was invited to London to meet Woolworth again, and was offered the job as director of the new company, which he accepted.

After the idea for the creation of the British business, Frank Woolworth had offered invitations to shop managers in the United States to establish shops in the UK and had only received offers to take positions at the time of his illness in March 1909 from Fred Woolworth of the Sixth Avenue and Samuel Balfour of the 14th Street shops in New York City.Woolworth, Frank W. (personal communication 19 May 1909) -- "It has been a dream of mine for the past ten years to establish a chain of stores in the UK and have asked for volunteers, but have received no offers from any of the managers until in March 1909 when I was taken ill, Mr. Fred Woolworth of the Sixth Avenue, N.Y. Store and Mr. Samuel Balfour of the 14th Street, N.Y. Store came up to see me while I was ill and offered their services as volunteers to open up stores in England." After these initial offers, Byron Miller, a superintendent in a Boston shop, also offered his assistance and set sail with the other volunteers on the steam boat Kaiserin Auguste Victoria on 29 May 1909 for England from Hoboken.Woolworth, Frank W. (personal communication 19 May 1909) -- " ... and it is expected that these three gentlemen will sail with me", for England

Frank Woolworth expected other members of staff to admire the volunteers in establishing FW Woolworth & Co in Britain. However, Carson C. Peck, vice president and general manager of the company, had reservations with enlisting staff members to travel to Britain, questioning whether Woolworth had indeed created the new business adventure following a dream, or due to his dissatisfaction with the current condition of the American branch.Carson, Peck C. (personal communication 11 June 1909) -- "I have seen bunches of boys blindly follow a leader in all sorts of dangers: I have seen them follow a leader into all sorts of good things. There is no question but that you have had a good leader during your business career and I admire your blind faith in his leadership, but I want to say one or two things, and would like to find out, if possible, whether this rush to get away from present conditions is because of a spirit of adventure or dissatisfaction with your present conditions."

Peck also asked those who were willing to volunteer to reconsider their decision, claiming that those who had volunteered were unaware of the uncertainty and risks involved and that some were only tentatively willing to engage in Woolworth's new endeavour:Carson, Peck C. (personal communication 11 June 1909) -- "Now, strange as it may seem on looking over these return sheets, I should judge without having it scheduled up, that at least 150 out of 220 managers have blindly volunteered their services for they know not what." His concerns mainly centred on the fact that the majority of the managers who followed the decision did so out of loyalty to Woolworth,Carson, Peck C. (personal communication 11 June 1909) and that moving such a valuable resource already established in the United States to what was a financially unproven "Little Infant" in the UK would have a detrimental effect upon the "Bread and Butter" of the Company.

1900s–1910s Despite reservations such as Peck's, the decision to launch in the United Kingdom went ahead as previously planned by Woolworth. He considered several locations for the first shops, together with future possible sites.Woolworths Group Plc., et al. (2006). "The Woolworths Virtual Museum - The first British store - Church Street, Liverpool 1909" Retrieved on 27 September 2007 from The chosen location for the first shop was 25-25A Church Street and 8 Williamson Street in the centre of LiverpoolWoolworths Group Plc., et al. (2006). "The Woolworths Virtual Museum - The first British store - Church Street, Liverpool 1909" -- "Many thousands of people yesterday afternoon and evening availed themselves of the opportunity afforded by the proprietors, Messrs. F. W. Woolworth & Co. Ltd., of inspecting their new stores at Church Street and Williamson Street. " Newspaper Excerpt from the "Liverpool Courier", 27 September 2007 (the street addresses of the different entrances). It opened on 5 November 1909 with a performance by a full orchestra, circus acts and fireworks.

As a means of adherence to American trading tradition, only viewing of items was allowed on the first day of the shop's opening. This included guests being given complementary tea while being entertained by a traditional brass band in the refreshment room. The event was reported positively by the local newspaper, the Liverpool Courier, which praised the decor of the shops along with the value and range of items on sale.Woolworths Group Plc., et al. (2006). "The Woolworths Virtual Museum - The first British store - Church Street, Liverpool 1909" -- "Many no doubt attracted by the novel character of the business transacted. 6D is the highest price charged for any single article in the establishment, but the variety of articles obtainable is infinite. ... Though none were on sale, the goods were laid out ready for the commencement of business to-day, and occasioned the visitors considerable surprise in the matter of their exceptional value. " Newspaper Excerpt from the "Liverpool Courier", 27 September 2007

Despite local press praise, British national newspaper the Daily Mail likened Frank Woolworth to American showman P. T. Barnum and claimed that the location had been decided as part of a contingency plan in the event of failure so as to facilitate escape from any financial liability. Despite these reservations, the shop proved to be a success; large queues outside and low priced 3d. and 6d. ("threepenny and sixpenny") items leading to it being almost stripped bare of goods before the end of the first day of trading and being attributed to mass purchased mass-produced foreign and local goods.Woolworths Group Plc., et al. (2006). "The Woolworths Virtual Museum - The first British store - Church Street, Liverpool 1909" -- "Most items were either 3D (1.25p) or 6D, with occasional special lines just one old penny. The fine mahogany counters were stacked full of china and glassware, all at much lower prices than in other British stores.... The secret was mass production, with Woolworths placing big orders, paid for in cash, to secure better prices."

The business expanded into Ireland, opening a shop on Grafton Street in Dublin on 23 April 1914 Plans and one on High Street in Belfast on 6 November 1915.

At the onset of the First World War, F.W. Woolworth & Co. had 40 shops in Great Britain and Ireland located in most major cities - from which a total of 57 staff including shop managers had enlisted; the majority of whom did not return after the end of the war in 1918. Despite American staff again offering their services to the Woolworths branches in Britain, remaining staff increased their efforts to cope with the lack of staff members throughout the war with several staff members being promoted to managerial positions.Woolworths Group Plc., et al. (2006). The Americans offered help, but the British company were keen to prove their worth. A number of women were promoted into the shop management positions they so richly deserved, albeit only on a temporary basis. Business continued as usual.

Shops in the United States, which were then stocking ranges also present in British shops, were dependent upon European manufacturers which had adopted newer production methods than their American counterparts.Woolworths Group Plc., et al. (2006). However, the war presented a big problem, particularly for the American company. They had become dependent on European imports for major parts of their business. At the outset of the Great War European factories were far more modern than their American counterparts. Europe had embraced the new technologies and working practices of mass production in a way that was yet to take hold in the US.

1920s–1930s

Following the First World War, the company continued to expand with the opening of further branches. By 1923, there were 130 branches, and William Lawrence Stephenson (1880–1963) became managing director. He implemented a strategy of major expansion, with the company buying or building freehold properties. Many of the shops had distinctive faience tiled art deco frontages. The expansion was funded entirely out of earnings and without any borrowing or further capitalisation. The 400th branch, at Southport, Lancashire, opened on 12 July 1930, and the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1931. The US parent company reduced its holding in the company to 51.7% at that time. In 1934, the 600th shop was opened, in Wallington in Surrey.

1940s–1950s