Wrexham and Flintshire would welcome return of Woolworths

In 2009 when the last of Woolworths' British shops closed after the financial crisis, the brand in Germany, where it is known as Woolworth, was saved by HH Holding.

Current HH Holding chief Roman Heini seeks to expand internationally and says the UK is on his "bucket list" of destinations.

Mr Heini - who has worked in executive positions in both Aldi and Lidl and has been Woolworth's chief executive since 2020 - told trade magazine Retail Week that despite the challenges of a cost-of-living crisis he had the opportunity to "make Woolworth great again".

The store was known for its variety of items sold, including children's clothing brand Ladybird, CDs and confectionery, most well-known being its pick n mix.

Dave Entwistle and Anna Pollard, from Woolworths, Broughton Shopping Park, shovelling pick n mix for an opening party.

It was a big deal at the time, and on the LeaderLive Facebook page, Jon Green said: "It was the first time I remember feeling really down to see a retailer I grew up with visiting regularly in town and buying so much from and spending ages in there browsing, to see it closing down was very upsetting for me and a lot of people in the town."

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Sharon Sansbury added: "Sadly I don’t think it’ll happen but Woolies was the only shop you’d ever need. It had everything! Can understand why some shops close but Woolies was such a surprise as it was always so busy."

Woolworths Wrexham, February 2011.

With stores in Wrexham, Mold, Holywell, Flint and more across the region, it was a popular destination with shoppers.

We asked Leader readers what they missed most or would like to see come back, if Woolies, as most know it, made a return.

Many missed the variety but most would love to see vinyl, a cafe and of course that pick n mix again.

Mold Woolworths staff make the most of the sunshine as the store is plunged into darkness during a town centre power cut - store manager Chris Gregson, Susan Jones and Jez Griffith.

Some suggested online shopping had been the nail in the coffin for shops such as Woolworths but many would love to see it back or had great memories of the store.

Here are just some of the responses...

Ffion Karen Huelin-Williams: "Loved it for the music section and toys for my daughter. I bought some of her very first Christmas presents in this store."

Jessica Roberts: "Listening to the CDs and looking through the posters."

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Beverley Davies: "I would love to see Woolworths back in Wrexham, loved that store, they sold everything. Did my Christmas shopping in there, one stop shop."

Josephine Clark: "Loved Woolworths in 50s and 60s, good choices at reasonable prices, especially when you had four children."

Donna Wilson: "I’d go back to work there in a heartbeat."

Fish bar in Wrexham Woolworths, 1972.

Patrick Wolfe: "Nothing like walking into Woolies when the latest CDs, consoles or games come out. Always loved them days. The best."

Ryan Packer: "The CDs, doubt they'll be coming back though. I used to buy my favourite single from the charts when I'd a little bit of money."

Lesley Michelle Griffiths: "I'd love to see Woolies back. Whatever you needed Woollies was the place and the café."

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Howard Williams: "Reliability of obtaining items - if they sold it it was in stock - nowadays providers seem to hold stock as and when it suits them!"

Claire Louise: "Everything! Mainly the feeling when you first walk in and the fact you can get anything and everything from there!"

Andy Shone: "Everything that was in there the shop was a buzz and what ever you needed they had it."

Staff at Wrexham Woolworths re-opening after re-furbishment, November 1992.

Ad Lem: "The records and posters. On a Saturday going into Woolies to see what single or album was number one that week and buying one if you could afford it, then spending ages flicking through the posters on the stand and buying one to put on your bedroom wall."

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Catherine Ann Ollier-Jones: "Yea, please bring back Woolies and put it back where it was, a fabulous store with lots of choice. Keep the records to the left and sweets to the right, you could buy so much from Woolies."

Jane Rochfort: "Everything. Many many moons ago, I used to work on the cheese and cold meat counter on a Saturday, over 50 years ago to be honest with you"

Hayley Wright-Paice: "The variety of goods available and they were so reasonably priced too!"