Shoppers left to wonder over Woolies' prices

UK

Shoppers left to wonder over Woolies' prices

By John O'Doherty

Published: December 12 2008 02:00 | Last updated: December 12 2008 02:00

There were no more fizzy twin cherries, milk teeth or vanilla fudge lumps.

In the perspex box where the strawberry bonbons used to sit, only a dusting of pink powder remained, and in the fizzy-cola bottle section, there was an empty wrapper of an unrelated sweet and what appeared to be two squidged Maltesers.

Like a sweet tin on Boxing Day, only bigger, the pick 'n' mix section of Woolworths had been drained of its most delicious confections by yesterday morning, as shoppers in Brixton, south London, searched for bargains at the Woolworths closing-down sale. But many of the overwhelmingly female clientele were disappointed that the bargains promised in news bulletins that morning were nowhere to be found.

The shop's promotional posters merely read: "All stock up to 50 per cent off." Many customers saw that the price cuts on offer were no different from what was available last week.

"Don't get me wrong - people are losing their jobs," said Jasmine, a civil servant in her late 40s. "But I'm very upset. It's misleading to get the public in when prices haven't been reduced."

Marcella Martins, a 47-year-old housewife from Kennington, was equally aggrieved that prices had not been cut back further. "It was a bit misleading. There is no closing-down sale," she said.

"Some things are 30 per cent off and some things are 50 per cent off. I rushed down here at 8 o'clock when it opened and there was nobody around. There were only four people, but the [Nintendo] Wii was sold out."

Ms Martins' chagrin was also mixed with a tinge of sadness. "I don't know how they managed to go broke. People are losing their jobs, and that's sad. I suppose I'll just have to go to the supermarkets in future."

One grandmother, who declined to give her name, felt a similar mixture of outrage at the lack of more ruthless price-cutting and nostalgia for the demise of a store that she grew up with.

"On GMTV they said 50 per cent off everything, but this is terrible advertising . . . But things won't be the same without Woolies. It's reasonably priced and Argos never has the things you want."

Terry, a 56-year-old chartered surveyor who was killing time in Woolworths before a meeting, was less emotional.

"It's just one of those things," he said. "Woolworths hasn't kept up with the times, and it's a failed business. I never shop in here normally, but it's got its market obviously. I normally shop in John Lewis or Selfridges."

Deeper inside the store, the availability of merchandise appeared to be the product of either deliberate economy or an unplanned approach to stock management.

Granted, the children's clothes and DVD areas were well filled, and the bookshelves carried the latest releases. But shelves that once carried picture frames were empty while, two aisles over, there was an embarrassment of steam irons for 30 per cent off.

The store's greeting cards area was also disorganised. Birthday cards had drifted from empty shelves to stack up in the anniversary card section.

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