Cannock Woolworths – Store 609

5 Market Place, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 1BS Woolworths opened in Cannock in 1935, originally as a small store. This is a photo of a staff outing from the early days. Source: Parsons, F. At Cannock Woolworths in the 1970s, they would have a fashion show each year, with the employees’ children modelling for them. Source:…

Rugeley Woolworths – Store 586

7 Lower Brook Street, Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 2DA Woolworths opened in historic market town of Rugeley in 1934, on Lower Brook Street. They traded from here for over 70 years. Tracy Clifford was Assistant Manager around 1996. She says, “My store manager was David McMunn who is now a colleague as we are both Store…

Stone Woolworths – Store 568

32 High Street, Stone, Staffs ST15 8AW Woolworths opened in Stone in 1934. It opened in an existing building on the High Street. Source: Francis Frith They traded from this location for 74 years until the end in December 2008. The pillar at the front looks really thin. It became a Heron Foods.  

Tamworth Woolworths – Store 508

26 – 27 George Street, Tamworth, Staffs B79 7LL Woolworths opened in Tamworth in 1933 on George Street. It was a small store in an existing building. Source: Facebook The store had a makeover around 1970 to become a much larger store. It traded until December 2008. Source: Tamworth Blog After being vacant for a…

Tunstall Woolworths – Store 483

125 – 127 High Street, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST6 5TB Woolworths opened in Tunstall in 1932, on the High Street in a purpose-built store with the recognisable Woolworths architecture. I can’ find a photo of the actual store when it was open, but there is this photo of the store manager Mr. Moore with his…

Uttoxeter Woolworths – Store 465

16 – 18 High Street, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 7HY Woolworths opened in Uttoxeter in 1932 in a purpose-built store on the High Street. The store manager from 1933 was Mr Slade, and this photo was sent in by Richard Northover who actually met him many decades later. He shares his memories with us below. “His…

Leek Woolworths – Store 450

13 Market Place, Leek, Staffs ST13 5AA Woolworths opened in Leek in 1931 in a former hotel. You can see it in the below photo from the 1990s. If you are wondering what is going on it this photo, it’s the Leek Fire Brigade attempting a Guinness book of records event. They had to cut a…

Lichfield Woolworths – Store 376

25 Market Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6LD Woolworths opened in Lichfield in 1929, a purpose-built two-storey store identical to Store 375 Southall and 374 Brecon as they were probably from the same architect drawing, built at the same time. In the 1970s, thie building was gone and replaced with this more modern, larger store. In…

Burslem Woolworths – Store 371

17-19 St John’s Square, Burslem, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire ST6 3AN Woolworths opened in Burslem in September 1929 in a purpose-built two-storey building. According to the book Burslem Through Time by Mervyn Edwards, the first store manager was L.H. Hewitt. This branch of Woolworths stocked a range of locally manufactured china and pottery items. Source:…

Bilston Woolworths – Store 349

88 – 94 Church Street, Bilston, Staffs WV14 0AZ Woolworths opened in Bilston in 1928. It was on Church Street, though I can’t find a photo of the original store. From this photo, we can guess they had a makeover in the 1960s and extended the size of the store. Source: Pinterest Some time later…

Wednesbury Woolworths – Store 342

19 – 20 Market Street, Wednesbury, Staffs WS10 7AY Woolworths opened in Wednesbury in 1928 on Market Street. It’s the rectangular building on the right side of this photo, in the centre. There is a gap on the left side of Woolworths – that is where Burtons was to be built. Here in this 1950s…

Stoke-on-Trent Woolworths – Store 324

6-8 Majestic Buildings, Campbell Place, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs  Woolworths opened in Stoke-on-Trent in 1928. Two other Stoke-on-Trent stores already existed at Hanley and Longton. This third one opened at 6-8 Majestic Buildings, which we know thanks to Graham Soult‘s research. You can see the small store on the far right of this photo. The building on the far left…

Stafford Woolworths – Store 320

18 Market Square, Stafford Woolworths opened their 320th store  in Stafford on 23rd June 1928. It was at 18 Market Square, in a building full of character. You can see the store on the right here, next to the building works. Source: Staffordshire Past Track In 1962, it was intended for Woolworths to move to…

Newcastle-under-Lyme Woolworths – Store 300

96 High Street (formerly Penkhull Street), Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs ST5 1QF The 300th Woolworths store opened in 1928 on Penkhull Street in a timber-framed building. At some point Penkhull Street was renamed ‘High Street’. Source: BBC After WW2 the ‘3d and 6d’ was dropped from the fascia so it read ‘F. W. Woolworth’.   Source: Age…

Longton Woolworths – Store 258

28 Market Street, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST3 1BT Woolworths opened in Longton in 1927, back when it was a rich and thriving town. You can see the store on the left side of this photo, next to Boots. Source: Stoke-on-Trent Live In 1965, a new shopping centre called the Bennett Precinct opened. It still exists…

Burton-on-Trent Woolworths – Store 147

154 – 155 High Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs Woolworths opened in Burton-on-Trent in 1923, taking over the building of Pearson’s the tailor at number 154 High Street. The store did so well that they extended to number 155 the following year. There are no photos of the original store, this earliest photo I can find is…

West Bromwich Woolworths – Store 112

178 – 182 High Street, West Bromwich, Staffs Woolworths opened in 1922 in West Bromwich. It had an Art Deco facade. Source: Historic England The store moved to 174-178 Princess Parade at some point, I am assuming the original buildings were demolished to create this parade on the High Street. Source: Ballysundriven The store closed…

Hanley Woolworths – Store 55

7-9 Upper Market Square, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST1 1PY In 1915, World War One did not stop Woolworth expanding and they opened their 55th store on Upper Market Square in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. As with many war-time stores, it had a similar design to Kingston-upon-Thames (Store 43), with an open pediment and a Venetian window. Source:…

Walsall Woolworths – Store 46

16 – 22 Park Street, Walsall, Staffs WS1 1NQ Woolworths opened its 46th store in Walsall in 1915 on Park Street. Some time in the 1920s-30s, a new store was built on the site – the earliest frontage in art deco style to be designed by Woolworths staff architects, incorporating an angular version of the…

Wolverhampton (Victoria Street) Woolworths – Store 13

58/59 Victoria Street, Wolverhamptons, Staffordshire WV1 3PE The thirteenth UK store, Woolworths first opened in Wolverhampton on Victoria Street in June 1912, taking over an ornate tudor-style building that used to be occupied by John Cavitt & Sons. Proud of their prices, they had an eye-catching ‘Nothing in the store over 6d’ sign along the top…