Magazines Archives - 2009 March

Woolworths takes e-shopping route under new management
Story 11 - E-commerce

FOLLOWING the closure of all its outlets, UK high-street retailer Woolworths and its Ladybird brand will be revived later this year — through the online channel.

Local media reported that UKbased home-shopping retailer Shop Direct Group, which purchased the Woolworths and Ladybird brands, had announced that the erstwhile brick-and-mortar retailer would be offering a more targeted product range in the upcoming online store.

“[The product offering] will be more targeted than the previous offer. It will definitely have children’s wear and definitely have entertainment, but I really don’t think we will be selling washingup bowls and light bulbs,” said Shop Direct’s chief executive, Mark Newton- Jones.

In preparation for the move to cyberspace, the group has posted a note on the new website, woolworths.co.uk, asking customers for feedback on what items they would like to buy online. The site reportedly received over 20,000 hits within hours of the announcement.

Woolworths, which collapsed last November due to a £385-million (US$555.8-million) debt, was forced into administration, followed by the closure of its 807 stores throughout the UK and about 30,000 job losses when no suitable buyer came forward to salvage the retailer. Last month, owners of Shop Direct, Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, bought over the Woolworths and Ladybird brands.

“Woolworths is a much-loved brand that engenders huge affection among British consumer and is an important part of the country’s retail heritage,” Newton-Jones said. “In what will be Woolworths’ 100th year, we are proud to be reviving the brand for future generations.”

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