The end of Woolies

The news have been replaying the same news stroy over and over again. I couldn't even recall what people use to call it, before credit crunch got into our vocabulary. (side dish: anyone still using the thick physical dictionary? They must have a hard time having to upgrade it every single time a new word came about)

Anyway, we went to Woolworth a couple of times since the news about their administration came out. There isn't one in Luton, the branch closed way before the whole company collapses-early this year and the nearest one is in Hitchin (about 30 mins away). I remember having a conversation with a local Lutonian about Luton not having a woolies ( I love the chocolate there, my visit to ole coventry town would not complete without a trip to wollies). Many loved the pick&mix there and some joked, even if no millionnaire wanted to save woolies, at least save this part for the sake of the kids who wouldn't be able to enjoy the variety on offer. I never tried them but they looked quite good.

During our visits, there were hardly anything worth buying for really. The good chocolates of course had been scoured by many a visitor during it's last few days of opening. On our last visit to the Milton Keynes branch, all the fixtures and fittings were on sale too. Even the manager's desks, the employees' lockers, racks, shelves, every single thing. The whole store still had items left over though, old socks, dusty shoes and kids apparels, rusting nuts and bolts, the odd plastic bins, the old cds that nobody wanted to buy either because the singer was rubbish, or they already had a copy, or they hated the song. Or all of them, or they'd rather listen to the free youtube.

Looking at the unwanted shoes, the nuts and bolts, the pink shorts and skirts, and many other stuff that were still in plastic boxes on the floor: I wonder what would happen to them. Would the employee bag them for free and give family and friends after they left Woolies and tried to look for another? Would they be given to charities and the homeless? Woul they be recycled?

What would the employees do? They've been quite helpful in helping Woolies end on a high note, but everyone knows the market is as gloomy as ever, Woolies is not the only one in the retail industry loosing its prominence: Officer's Club, Whittards of Chelsea, Zavvi, and the kitchen supplier MFI. And experts are saying hundreds more will face the same fate soon. Which means the chance for these employees to find a job in the retail industry is arguably slim.

Thankfully there's jobseeker's allowance for these people, and redundancy payments to help ease the burden, but even these money came from from 'someone else's' pocket. How long would these continue??

Let me just finish this cup of Milo as for now....