Wishaw Woolworths – Store 807

194-204 Main Street, Wishaw, Lanarkshire ML2 7NB Woolworths opened in the Scottish town of Wishaw in 1953. I don’t have much information on the store, but it traded in this town for 55 years. Source: Law, J. It closed in December 2008. Today there is a Homestyle store/Post Office here – look at the frontage,…

Nairn Woolworths – Store 805

67 High Street, Nairn, Nairnshire IV12 4AU Woolworths opened in Nairn in 1953, in an interesting looking building with an ornate facade. Source: Slessor, R. John McKillop was store manager at Nairn Woolworths from around 1992 to 1994. He tells us it was his first appointment as manager, and it was a fab little store,…

North Berwick Woolworths – Store 804

73 High Street, North Berwick, East Lothian EH39 4HG Woolworths opened in the Scottish seaside town of North Berwick in 1953. It was a small store on the High Street in a building that looked quite different from its neighbours. A recollection from a former Woolworths manager Scott Barber, “Margaret and Moira Wright Mother and…

Forfar Woolworths – Store 783

17-21 Castle Street, Forfar, Angus DD8 3AE Woolworths opened in Forfar, Scotland, in 1952. The building is Grade C Listed. They traded here for 56 years, closing in December 2008. Source: Burgess, A. It became an Alworths, which was a chain of 18 retail stores created in 2009 out of some of the former stores…

Clydebank Woolworths – Store 759

26 – 30 Glasgow Road, Clydebank, Dunbartonshire Woolworths opened in Clydebank in 1939. A purpose-built store on a corner plot with an Art Deco facade. Source: womenslibrary.org.uk The store closed in the 1970s/80s. The building still exists today as a snooker hall called Lucky Break, although the store front has been bricked up. Source: Fotofling…

Rothesay Woolworths – Store 755

85-99 Montague Street, Rothesay, Isle of Bute PA20 0HP Woolworths opened in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, in 1939. Source: Pinterest It was a purpose-built store with the recognisable Woolworths architecture – red-brick, 5 bays, central pediment. Source: Facebook It lasted until the end when the chain went bust in December 2008, trading…

Bathgate Woolworths – Store 753

54-60 George Street. Bathgate, West Lothian EH48 1PF Woolworths opened in Bathgate, Scotland, in 1939 – a purpose-built store. Source: Alamy.com They traded here for 70 years, closing in December 2008. Today Poundland is here. Source: jackdeightonsf

Girvan Woolworths – Store 732

68 Dalrymple Street, Girvan, Ayrshire KA26 9BX Woolworths opened in the Scottish coastal town of Girvan in 1938. The store opened in an existing building on Dalrymple Street. They traded from this location for 70 years, closing in December 2008. Source: Ballysundriven Today the unit is vacant, but you can see in this photo that…

Preswick Woolworths – Store 694

87 Main Street, Prestwick, Ayreshire KA9 1JX Woolworths opened in Prestwick in 1937. It looks purpose-built in an Art Deco style building. Source: Old Ayrshire and Arran Prestwick Woolworths closed in December 2008. Today there is a Wetherspoons pub in the building. Source: Tripadvisor

Airdrie Woolworths – Store 675

20-26 Graham Street, Airdrie, Lanarkshire ML6 6BX Woolworths opened in Airdrie in 1936. It was a purpose-built stone with a sandstone facade. Unfortunately I can’t find a photo of it as a Woolworths! They traded here until the end in December 2008. It then became a Poundland but recently this particular branch has closed down….

Edinburgh, Lothian Road Woolworths – Store 674/2033

142 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9BQ Woolworths opened on Lothian Road in Edinburgh in 1936. It was the second Edinburgh Woolworths, about a mile from the Princes Road branch – store 213. This store opened in a large Art Deco building shared with other shops. Here’s a staff photo from the early years. Source: Woolworths…

Glasgow Shawlands Woolworths – Store 665

61 Kilmarnock Road, Glasgow, Lanarkshire G41 3YR Woolworths opened in the Shawlands area of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1936. It was a purpose-built store with a lovely stone Art Deco facade at 61 Kilmarnock Road. This photograph really captures how different life was in the 1930s, babies in prams waiting outside the store while their mothers…

St. Andrews Woolworths – Store 650

139-141 Market Street, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9PF Woolworths opened in the Scottish university town of St Andrews in 1936. It was a purpose-built store with a rectangular facade. It extended to the right in later years. Source: University of St Andrews Sadly I can’t find any recent photos of the store when it was…

Cowdenbeath Woolworth – Store 642

353-355 High Street, Cowdenbeath, Fife KY4 9QJ Woolworths opened in Cowdenbeath in 1936. It was a purpose-built store on the High Street. Source: Ellis, M. This is a photo from when cashier Annie Johnstone retired. She was the first member of staff to retire since the store opened in 1936. Source: Ellis, M. Here are…

Leven Woolworths – Store 617

25-29 High Street, Leven, Fife KY8 4ND Woolworths opened in the Scottish seaside town of Leven in 1935. This is a lovely staff photo from the opening day. And at the end of this post you can see a staff photo from the last day. The store was a purpose-built one with the recognisable Woolworths…

Stornoway Woolworths – Store 614 / 1211

21 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS1 2DA Woolworths opened in Stornoway in 1935, in a small purpose-built store with the recognisable Woolworths architecture. Source: Historic England In the 2000s they moved into the building next door, number 23, with the store number 1211. The old building became a furniture store. 23 Cromwell Street,…

Fraserburgh Woolworths – Store 594

23-27 Broad St, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire AB43 9AE Woolworths opened in the far north-east corner of Scotland in Fraserburgh in 1934. It was a purpose-built store with the recognisable architecture at 23-27 Broad Street. You can see it in the below postcard with the canopies open. Woolworths relocated along the road in the 1950s. The original…

Helensburgh Woolworths – Store 580

20 – 23 West Clyde Street, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire G84 8SH Woolworths opened in Scottish seaside town of Helensburgh in 1934. It was a purpose-built store with the classic architecture, but the facade was of grey stone. And there was a huge swimming baths in front of it, as well as the seaside – what a…

Peterhead Woolworths – Store 559

25-31 Marischal Street, Peterhead, Grampian AB42 1BT Woolworths opened in Peterhead, Scotland, in 1934. It was on Marischal Street. The earliest photo I can find is this 1970s one. Source: Facebook Former employee Margaret Whyte has some stories to tell. “I worked at 559 Peterhead from 11/01/78 till closure. I was the only full time…

Rutherglen Woolworths – Store 543

214-218 Main Street, Rutherglen, Glasgow, Strathclyde G73 2HS Woolworths opened in Rutherglen, Scotland, in 1934. There’s not much information on the store online, so this will be a short post. From this photo we can see it was purpose-built with the classic Woolworths architecture of 5 bays and a central pediments, the brickwork painted white…