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good evening and welcome to the AA grumpy column.

there will be no xmas cheer for woolies staff as the retail giant closes its doors for good after xmas.

NEARLY 30,000 workers at WOOLWORTHS could lose their job by January 5 – administrators said today.

Administrators running the pick n mix retailer are understood to be ready to close the business down days after Christmas.

The first 200 of Woolworths’ 800 high street stores will shut on December 23.

A further 200 will be closed on December 30 – another 200 on January 2 and the final 200 on January 5.

Deloitte joint administrator Neville Kahn conceded that 22,000 full-time and 5,000 temporary staff would lose their jobs in the New Year unless a last-ditch bid came in for the business.

He said there was still some interest from potential bidders - including parties in Asia, Africa and the Americas.

But he admitted there was only a slim chance of selling the chain as an ongoing business.

He told the Sun: "It's a very, very difficult situation for a lot of people, particularly the employees. We are trying to deal with this in as sensitive a way as possible."

Furious union leaders slammed the administrators – and called for an urgent change to Britain’s insolvency laws.

GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: “The way insolvency laws are operating is a thundering disgrace as wealthy individuals walk away from their liabilities and move on to the next killing.”

He added that Lord Mandelson should have called in the bosses of Deloitte and Paul McGowan, the head of Hilco – the restructuring specialist also working at Woolworths.

Hilco ran the administration of MFI last month – where the furniture retailer collapsed only weeks after a ‘rescue’ deal.

Mr Kenny said: “While Shane McGowan wrote ‘Fairytale in New York’, Paul McGowan seems to be helping to write ‘Nightmare on Threadneedle Street’ since GMB is not aware of another case where so many workers are to be sacked from the same company on the same day."

Woolies stores gone by Jan 5 | The Sun |News|Sun Money

AAG

never has there been such massive job losses since the 1980 pit closures

another 30,000 will join the ranks of the unemployed pushing the jobless total back towards the 3 million mark unseen since the days of margaret thatcher.

there is intrest from abroad asia africa and the americas but this will be another british institution hived off abroad like asda who where purchased by walmart or the royal mail being part sold to the dutch and freight on the privatised railways in the hands of winsconcin central who are these bidders?

asia could be the chinese or the japs the americas is anyones guess but AFRICA!!!! this is a third world contintant that the uk through oxfam and sir scruffy geldof has been supporting for years how much have we put in to africa over the years that the they,ve been on the cadge and now they want to buy us out !!! remarkable .

straying away from the point a little 30,000 people must not be thrown on the dole woolies must not go to foreign owners otherwise there will be hardly anything to call british anymore.

we once led the world now we are bringing up the rear.

AAG

Woolies had been in trouble for while don't see why failing businesses should expect to be propped up.

GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: “The way insolvency laws are operating is a thundering disgrace as wealthy individuals walk away from their liabilities and move on to the next killing.




What wealthy individuals and how were they culpable? It was us that invented limited liability companies and for very good reasons, trouble is it tends to be institutions that end up owning most if our companies and there is pressure to keep share prices up, fund managers want divenends profits taken out all the time so there is tendency for long term planning and investment to take a back seat.

If you want something to get really annoyed about Peter Mandelson is now talking about bailing out Jaguar/Land Rover, an INDIAN owned company whose owners happen to be big labour party donors. What kind of idiot would prop up a company making big gas guzzling cars that is failing because no one wants to buy their product. If it was your money would you do it?

This man resigned twive from the blair government because he got caught-he is not an MP what the hell is he doing making decisions like this.

Gordon brown has totally lost it-he needs to go before he does any more damage.

jimbo;1088742 wrote: great posts



great points



it will greatly upset oscar



great :)


note jimbo Senior Member now not junior member so i have joined the oldies.

this is wrong what mandelson is doing but its returning favours for big donations

pantoandy;1088925 wrote: note jimbo Senior Member now not junior member so i have joined the oldies.

this is wrong what mandelson is doing but its returning favours for big donations


That's the whole point. It, may strictly speaking not be illegal but it is corrupt. Our politicians are not so much as immoral but amoral. They seem to be incapable of understanding what is wrong with doing or accepting favours while in office. If you recall that is why mandelson got kicked off the cabinet in the first place. he's a crook and a liar and doesn't understand what he is doing is wrong. I despise the whole lot of them.

pantoandy;1088925 wrote: note jimbo Senior Member now not junior member so i have joined the oldies.

this is wrong what mandelson is doing but its returning favours for big donations


Why should Gordon Brown take the blame for a company who wrongly diversified to greedily compete with large high street giants at over-inflated prices when they should have stuck to what they have been doing for a century?

It is sheer greed on Woolworth's part that any-one has lost their jobs. If they stuck at what they were good at instead of trying to compete with the like's of debanhams, John Lewis etc, it would never have happened.

To diversify, Woolworth borrowed a staggering £900 million at a time when retail sales were slowing. Through bad investment, they went tits up owing £30 million.

Gordon brown nor the government held a gun to their heads and ordered them to do it.... Get real!!

oscar;1088949 wrote: Why should Gordon Brown take the blame for a company who wrongly diversified to greedily compete with large high street giants at over-inflated prices when they should have stuck to what they have been doing for a century?

It is sheer greed on Woolworth's part that any-one has lost their jobs. If they stuck at what they were good at instead of trying to compete with the like's of debanhams, John Lewis etc, it would never have happened.

To diversify, Woolworth borrowed a staggering £900 million at a time when retail sales were slowing. Through bad investment, they went tits up owing £30 million.

Gordon brown nor the government held a gun to their heads and ordered them to do it.... Get real!!


woah oscar you,re shooting at the wrong man i never said any of this in my column

pantoandy;1088962 wrote: woah oscar you,re shooting at the wrong man i never said any of this in my column


I'm not shooting the messenger Panto, only the one's that follow you.

My garden is a little un-tidy at the moment, i've run out of bird seed, I can't frind trainsers in my brother's size, my postie is terrified of my dogs, my pup has chewed uo the chrimbo decs and it's all Gordon Browns fault!!

I am very sad that the Woolies employees will soon be out of work and the demise of Woolies for purely nostalgic reasons.................however........they haven't changed with the times and even now with all their discounts and 'money off' you can get better bargains elsewhere. They put all the prices back to RRP and then discounted . Not much at 50% as advertised and there were no christmas decorations in our local store....shameful



There will be big 'holes' in the high streets. it will be interesting to see who fills them. Maybe Wilkinson will fill the gaps !

Bez;1089089 wrote: I am very sad that the Woolies employees will soon be out of work and the demise of Woolies for purely nostalgic reasons.................however........they haven't changed with the times and even now with all their discounts and 'money off' you can get better bargains elsewhere. They put all the prices back to RRP and then discounted . Not much at 50% as advertised and there were no christmas decorations in our local store....shameful



There will be big 'holes' in the high streets. it will be interesting to see who fills them. Maybe Wilkinson will fill the gaps !


Poundland filled the gap in our highstreet.

Wellworths in Dorchester are so far doing well and proving to be popular. Good luck to them, do you think Wellworths are going to be a nationwide company in the future?

Wellworths (GB) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Betty Boop;1240698 wrote: Poundland filled the gap in our highstreet.

Wellworths in Dorchester are so far doing well and proving to be popular. Good luck to them, do you think Wellworths are going to be a nationwide company in the future?

Wellworths (GB) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


No..

oscar;1240767 wrote: No..


No?? Your reasons? Too expensive? Have you been there?

Betty Boop;1240823 wrote: No?? Your reasons? Too expensive? Have you been there?
Oh you want reasons? :wah:

No I haven't been there and would not shop there any more than I would shop In Woolworths as I understand they are using similar stock.

I do not believe the spin offs will do well mainly because It took the best part of 50 years for Woolworths to become a High Street Chain. Woolworth had to borrow heavilly and diversify to compete in today's market. If they could not keep afloat, I can not see the spin off doing any better. They do not have the finance to diversify and compete for one. For two, the market is too unstable in today's present clims. The last business venture I would consider in todays unstable market, would be a shop of any description. With e bay and on line shopping, it's a sad fact, but today, folk have far too busy lives to go to the Independent retailer in the High Street. As with anyone opening a new shop in this current situation... I'd give them a year before they are heavilly in debt.

oscar;1240870 wrote: Oh you want reasons? :wah:

No I haven't been there and would not shop there any more than I would shop In Woolworths as I understand they are using similar stock.

I do not believe the spin offs will do well mainly because It took the best part of 50 years for Woolworths to become a High Street Chain. Woolworth had to borrow heavilly and diversify to compete in today's market. If they could not keep afloat, I can not see the spin off doing any better. They do not have the finance to diversify and compete for one. For two, the market is too unstable in today's present clims. The last business venture I would consider in todays unstable market, would be a shop of any description. With e bay and on line shopping, it's a sad fact, but today, folk have far too busy lives to go to the Independent retailer in the High Street. As with anyone opening a new shop in this current situation... I'd give them a year before they are heavilly in debt.


What was wrong with Woolworths, were they not good enough for you? :wah:

For years it was one of only two shops to buy presents for the children in our town. You could always get good mid range goods in Woolies. Poundland on the other hand you have to be very choosy with, although saying that, everytime I go in there there are queues way back up the aisles.

I'm not convinced that everyone is switching to internet shopping. Six months ago our high street contained more empty shops than filled, now all shops bar one are let and trading, the town is busy, weekdays and weekends. The one empty at present is apparently being fitted ready for a nationwide trader. I think too many people are wary of internet shopping, and who is going to go on the net for a couple of lunchboxes and some wundaweb when you can nip into town.

If Wellworths set up in my town I would be in there supporting them for having the guts and determination to give it a go.

Betty Boop;1240925 wrote: What was wrong with Woolworths, were they not good enough for you? :wah:

For years it was one of only two shops to buy presents for the children in our town. You could always get good mid range goods in Woolies. Poundland on the other hand you have to be very choosy with, although saying that, everytime I go in there there are queues way back up the aisles.

I'm not convinced that everyone is switching to internet shopping. Six months ago our high street contained more empty shops than filled, now all shops bar one are let and trading, the town is busy, weekdays and weekends. The one empty at present is apparently being fitted ready for a nationwide trader. I think too many people are wary of internet shopping, and who is going to go on the net for a couple of lunchboxes and some wundaweb when you can nip into town.

If Wellworths set up in my town I would be in there supporting them for having the guts and determination to give it a go. I can Understand that If you only had 2 shops in your town to buy the Christmas toys in, then it would be a godsend. Maybe when they were in their heyday, I was spoilt for choice where I lived for choice of toy departments. I actually loathe Xmas shopping with a passion and order through mail order just to save the hassle. Woolworths was just never for me.... Sorry.

I see local shops closing all the time. Yes, they re-let and trade but often are gone again within a year. The essential item shops will always do a trade but I think with this credit crunch and financial unstability, people are ordering on the net or looking for bargains else-where.

Sorry to go off at a bit of a tangent and hope you don't mind.

I live in a small market town. We have two main shopping streets and a (very) small mall (well, shopping centre, really). We have LOTS of charity shops (full of cheap rubbishy things, not good quality things), we have LOTS of pubs (and lots of trouble at night with drunks smashing shop windows, there are ALWAYS 1 or 2 shop windows boarded up and sometimes 20 or more!) We have several casino's and 5 or 6 betting shops. We have several clothes boutiques and several hair dressers. We have 3 supermarkets - Tesco, Sainsbury and Iceland. One Boots, one WHSmith, one Superdrug and one small Waterstones. Oh, and lots of takeaways.

So basically we have loads of people on benefits who shop in the charity shops for their clothes and their kids Christmas and birthday presents! And then they go out at night on pub crawls round the town ending up in one of the local takeaway joints.

As the shops close down, and they do frequently, more charity shops and betting shops pop up in their place. This was a lovely little town 10 years ago, now it seems to be a dumping ground for benefit-claimants and benefit-relievers. :-5

These all seem to be the type of shops that make money!

I shop both online and in shops but I usually go to Winchester for the shopping. :rolleyes:

Rapunzel;1241119 wrote: Sorry to go off at a bit of a tangent and hope you don't mind.

I live in a small market town. We have two main shopping streets and a (very) small mall (well, shopping centre, really). We have LOTS of charity shops (full of cheap rubbishy things, not good quality things), we have LOTS of pubs (and lots of trouble at night with drunks smashing shop windows, there are ALWAYS 1 or 2 shop windows boarded up and sometimes 20 or more!) We have several casino's and 5 or 6 betting shops. We have several clothes boutiques and several hair dressers. We have 3 supermarkets - Tesco, Sainsbury and Iceland. One Boots, one WHSmith, one Superdrug and one small Waterstones. Oh, and lots of takeaways.

So basically we have loads of people on benefits who shop in the charity shops for their clothes and their kids Christmas and birthday presents! And then they go out at night on pub crawls round the town ending up in one of the local takeaway joints.

As the shops close down, and they do frequently, more charity shops and betting shops pop up in their place. This was a lovely little town 10 years ago, now it seems to be a dumping ground for benefit-claimants and benefit-relievers. :-5

These all seem to be the type of shops that make money!

I shop both online and in shops but I usually go to Winchester for the shopping. :rolleyes: I totally agree. Anyone opening a new shop today may think they have picked a selective area, but give it a year and it will be as you described.

I don't shop locally for all the reasons you have given. I go to a mall in Bristol where the shops are probably a little pricier but you are not contending with 24 hour boozers and the fall out and gangs of anti-social groups hanging around take-aways.

In time what happens, is the decent shop keepers close down because of the trouble and leave only the bookies, the charity shops and the take-away's. For example, you could open a lovely baby wear shop but who the hell is going to travel there to buy from you with that lot around you? You end up pricing yourself out of the area and the buyer type.