Woolworths is back

[miniman]

So Woolworths is back, as an online-only brand, bought by the Barclay brothers. Just one question - WHY?

The spokesman on R4 this morning couldn't answer that question either. When asked "what is going to make this any different to your other existing online stores, or any other online store?" the best he could come up with was "we are going to ask people what they think Woolworths means and what it should stock". Genius. They've bought the brand with seemingly no idea what it means. Missing the key point, I would say, that it means absolutely nothing any more and that is at least partly why it went under in the first place.

[asbo]

What did they pay for the brand though?

[Busa_Rush]

It used to represent value for money, they sold items of reasonable quality for a sensible amount of money.

Most shops these days, from clothes to household electricals sell mainly cheap, rotten tat. (Also Woolworths in the end, hence why I think they went under)

[miniman]

asbo said:

What did they pay for the brand though?

He refused to say. But in all honesty, what brand? As a high street shop, maybe ok. But my Nan doesn't do online.

[Silver993tt]

miniman said:

When asked "what is going to make this any different to your other existing online stores, or any other online store?"

online 'pick-n-mix'?

[miniman]

Silver993tt said:

miniman said:

When asked "what is going to make this any different to your other existing online stores, or any other online store?"

online 'pick-n-mix'?

As with everything they ever sold, someone is already doing it online, better.

http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/

[Mill Wheel]

It might be that the online presence is a means to keeping the brand alive, with a view to returning to the high street when the remaining players there have taken a bashing in the recession.

Buy back old stores cheap and voila!

Note OTHER online stores who jumped to actual bricks and mortar - ScrewFix, Gadget Shop, etc. worked well because they built up to the jump.

[Alfahorn]

Their after feedback at the moment.

www.woolworths.co.uk

[Swilly]

People in this country need to get over the misplaced-loyalty syndrome that is constantly shown to those edifices of the past, that have passed !!

Its detrimental to progress and to the mind

[tubbystu]

I had a double take when I saw a big Woolworths in Frankfurt last week - and it was fairly busy.

So somebody has got the stock and pricing right.