Maybe this time the employees can get it right!

February 14th, 2009 by admin | Filed under Daily News, Recession, Retail.

There must have been very few UK citizens who were not sorry to see the end of the Woolworths store chain era. The “cheap and cheerful” retailing group closed their 813 stores around Christmas and New Year, with the administrators claiming that it was no longer possible to run the high street chain at a profit. However Claire Robertson, a former manager of Woolworths branch in the small town of Dorchester, Dorset, which made a continuous profit in the time that it traded, is about to take advantage of her eighteen years of experience in the business by re-opening the store under its new name “Wellworths” or Wellies for short.

And Claire, a young entrepreneur expects to see Wellies rise from the ashes of Woolies in some style. She has re-employed all of the 22 staff who were made redundant when the administrators turned off the lights for the last time and has put here money where her mouth is in her efforts to restore this well known and loved high street icon. Not only that, but Miss Robertson, who began her career at Woolworths as a part timer, has secured substantial investment in her new venture. A sure sign that the financial institutions also believe that there is a place for a Woolworths clone on the UK high street. For the good or the bad, any new stores that will reappear cannot bear the name of Woolworths as the name has been bought by online retail company Shop Direct Group. The group intend to open their online ” Woolies” portal later this year.

As far as Wellworths in Dorchester is concerned a turnover of two million pounds a year is projected, and if reached will mean a healthy profit. Possibly Claire Robertson’s enterprise will be the forerunner for many other former Woolies to re-emerge.

Showing that it can be done and has been for many years is the John Lewis Partnership , the totally employee-owned UK retail group, who announced recently that it would be creating one thousands new jobs in 2009, as part of a program to add around five thousand staff over the next three years.

Another sign that high street retailers can still not only make it during these difficult times but go ahead and prosper.