164-168 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3DH
Woolworths opened their FOURTH Glasgow store on Sauchiehall Street, backing onto Renfrew Street in 1927. [The other Glasgow stores were Store 39 at Union Street, Store 118 at Argyle Street and Store 121 at Charing Cross Mansions.] They had acquired the Wellington Arcade on Sauchiehall Street, which was a continuation of a small shopping arcade called the Queens Arcade that was built in the mid-19th century. Woolworths demolished the Wellington Arcade to build their store.
Just two years after the store opened, there was a fire in 1929 and the facade had to be rebuilt. The store was reclad in tiles to add a touch of style, in order to compete with Marks and Spencer’s striking new premises next door (Extract from Woolworth’s 100 Years on the High Street K. Morrison)
Source: Historic England
Below you can see the M&S next door and why Woolworths wanted a grand facade.
Source: Mitchell Library / Hidden Glasgow
Source: Glasgow History
This is the back of the store on Renfrew Street. According to The Telegraph, the store was pictured in 1951 as a horse-drawn cart containing supplies pulls up outside. I can’t quite believe that’s how supplies were delivered in the 1950s!
Source: The Telegraph
Here is another photo of the back, from the style of the cars this would be late 1950s/60s?
Source: Mitchell Library
The store closed in January 1984, and went through some redevelopment recently. The building is new but kept in a similar style of the old Woolworths, and is now a souvenir shop called I Love Glasgow.
Source: Local Data Search
Woolies Buildings - Then and Now 
I started as a Saturday boy in Sauchiehall Street in 1976. My first department was grocery & Betty McNichol was the supervisor. John Farrell, who was the the Audio Manager persuaded me to work with him & I enjoyed that so much, when I left school in 1977, I went to branch 146 Hamilton to work full time as Audio Manager. Approximately One & a half years later when John was promoted to Sales Floor Manager, I came back to Sauchiehall Street as Audio Manager. I also did a spell as Sales Floor Manager there before going to work in 665 Shawlands as a Department manager. I went to 118 Argyle Street in 1980 as Furniture Manager & stayed there until 1982 when it closed.
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