Do you remember Woolworth?

[DodgerGirl]

When my mom would go shopping at the department store my dad and I used to go to Woolworth and buying things there was a lot of fun and I wonder if any of you remember visiting Woolworth? I would buy toys there and my mom would buy Christmas decor there too and they even had music and movies there too and Mom would find classic movies with Spencer Tracy and John Wayne there as well. And some Woolworth's even had their own restaurants and they had good food. It's a shame that Woolworth closed in the 90's because they were neat stores and you can't find variety stores like Woolworth today and stores like Woolworth should make a big comeback today

 

[kanerf]

They are still around in the UK, I think.

 

[steve_rob]

They are still around in the UK, I think.

Closed in the UK in 2009, but the name still exists in Australia and South Africa, although they are a supermarket chain in those countries rather than a department store to my knowledge.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Sure I remember Woolworth’s but it was on its last legs by the time my kiddos were growing up. They gawked at the toys at Korvette’s, May’s and visited Santa at Gretz.

Unfortunately, I don’t see Woolworth’s coming back unless it’s a nostalgia bid by Amazon.

Pretty sure I never ate at any 5 and 10 cent counter. Those sausage balloons were cute but the food at the local deli was better.

 

[pinkxray]

I was born in 1982 and only have one memory of Woolworth. When I was 9, I got an awesome report card. I happened to be in Woolworth with my dad for some reason and we checked out the hamsters in the pet area. As a reward for the report card, he let me get 2 hamsters.

I think the store closed shortly after that year. I don’t remember ever going back.

 

[AnnaS]

Definitely remember. One of my mom's friend would take us to have breakfast at the counter at Woolworth's and Juniors on the weekends. Great lady!! RIP Luisa and thank you.

 

[firefly_ris]

Yes, the one we went to had a lunch counter and a big wall of fish tanks. It was also 2 floors, the lower level was the basement.

 

[Giraffe_Zen]

Yes, I remember going to Woolworth with my family. We even sometimes ate at the counter, where they had good sandwiches.

 

[amcnj]

I used to go to them. I may still have a box of envelopes of theirs! What I most recall when I was young is the lunch counter had balloons and you popped one and whatever the price was on a slip of paper inside is what you would pay for the banana split.

The last time I was in a woolworths when the one near to where I was working was closing. That was probably in the 1990’s? The site later became a family dollar.

 

[lynxstch]

I remember it. My grandmother would take me shopping there. As a treat, we would visit the lunch counter and sit on the stools and order tuna club sandwiches. This brings back some fond memories for me.

 

[Meriweather]

Yes...loved it. Best hot dogs and banana splits ever.
Fun to look around too.

 

[NannyBeBe]

I do remember Woolworths. I would go shopping with my grandma and we'd stop at Woolworths for lunch. For 50 cents we got a dish of mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and a dinner roll. Yummy. They had great fried chicken too.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Absolutely. It was my first "real" job after high school before college (summer of 1985). I worked at the luncheonette counter. I learned how to make burgers, fries, grilled cheese, BLTs, and MILKSHAKES. My tips were in quarters, but I sorta learned how to cook. Sorta.

Best was that I received a 20% employee discount and I was able to get my dorm and college stuff at a discount.

ETA: I don't think ours offered much more than sandwiches, burgers, and all sorts of ice cream treats. Certainly no mashed potatoes or fried chicken like @NannyBeBe remembers.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Yes, went there with my mom often as s kid. I don’t remember ever eating there, but I did a few times at WT Grant, which was the same type of store. We also had Newberry’s. We called all of them the “five and ten”. And we also had a Woolco in my town for a few years, which was more of a discount department store like KMart.

 

[citruscurtis]

Left Salem Oregon in early 70s.. never entered the that store or Newberry

 

[antmaril]

I’m old, so yes!

 

[Nayan]

Yep. Also remember McCrory's (that's where we ate when visiting the small mallow used to have).

Stores like that wouldn't survive today, not with Wal Mart, Dollar General and online shopping. Even Old Time Pottery, where I would get unique holiday decor closed up.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I remember Woothworth's very well. There was one on Broad street in Philly that my grandmother would take me to sometimes to shop in the bargain basement in the early 70s. Then we'd eat at the lunch counter, my favorite. Woolworth's lunch counter was where I had my first patty melt.

There was also a huge Woolworth's on Pacific Avenue in Wildwood. It still had all of the old Edwardian fittings and trims and was a beautiful store. I remember going there in the summer to buy beach towels and stuff. In the 80s I applied for a summer job there and I remember walking up a set of very grand stairs to the offices to speak to the manager. Didn't get the job. The building is still standing, but it's owned by an eccentric type who keeps his collection of Wildwood memorabilia and artifacts in there. It isn't open to the public, unfortunately.

 

[elgerber]

We loved Woolworth. In Jr high, we could take the bus to the mall all summer, right after we got our allowance. We got everything at Woolworth. We ate lunch there, bought makeup, records, candy, and the occasional pet LOL.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I wonder if any of you remember visiting Woolworth?

I do. That's where I would buy the yarn I used for making afghans. Really liked the brand.

There was a really big one in SF that I really liked to just walk around in. It had at least 3 floors. But the one closest to home was smaller (no lunch counter) in a shopping mall (with WT Grants right next door).

Bakersfield CA has a "Woolworth" building, but it's an antique mall and the lunch counter is still there. I think it closed down during COVID.



(Pictures taken in 2018)