Britain’s most dearly missed retailer Woolworths is NOT coming back to the high street, following a series of announcements made on Twitter that sparked speculation over its return.
A new Twitter account purporting to be from Woolworths said it is returning to the high street with three trial stores due to open late 2021.
But the Very Group, which owns the brand, confirmed the account is not connected the company.
The store, famous for its pick ‘n’ mix sweets, children’s clothes, homewares, CDs and DVDs went into administration in 2008 and closed all of its UK stores by January 2009.
In an announcement this morning on the newly made Woolworth UK Twitter account, the retailer said: "Here to save 2020! Woolworths is coming back to your high street, as a physical store!
"A couple of legal things to get sorted, but we’re full steam ahead at Woolworths HQ.
"We want to get this right, so we need your help. What do you want at your UK #YourWoolworths?"
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The store, affectionately known as Woolies, said there would be more announcements throughout the week and chances for shoppers to win prizes.
A further tweet added: "Our trial stores will open in 2021. Very own the online Woolworths, so we will be retail only.
"Before we launch we have a few legal contracts to sign, but we’re super excited!"
Woolworths had a long history in Newport as one of the then town's major stores.
The company opened its 185th store in the UK in Commercial Street, Newport, in 1925.
The Woolworths store in Commerical Street, Newport. Picture: Getty Images
In 1960, Woolworths moved along the street to a new and even bigger store. They took over the site of The Talbot Hotel and the old Empire Theatre, at the corner of Charles Street, to make the largest and most modern Woolworths store in Wales at the time.
Less than 30 years later, the store closed down - in February 1989 - not long after a new, smaller Woolworths was opened in the Kingsway Shopping Centre.
The Woolworths store on the corner of Commercial Street and Charles Street, Newport. Picture: Historic England
Today you will see no sign of either of the Woolworths buildings. The first store at numbers 155 -156 is now Boots, in a newer and less grand building.
The store at numbers 147-148 was demolished soon after it closed down in 1989, and a new building was erected with three shop units.
A spokesman for the Very group said: "We own the Woolworths trademark in the UK. The Twitter account UKWoolworths is not connected to The Very Group.”
The Woolworths UK trademark was bought in 2009 and later merged with online brand Very.co.uk.
Very announced the move on its website, promising that customers of the defunct Woolworths site would be able to find many of the same products on its own site.
It said at the time: "Just in case you didn’t know, the Woolworths online store has closed its virtual doors for the last time (sad face) but the great news is you can still use your Woolworths account to shop at Very!
"You can find 1000s of the same great products you used to love shopping at Woolworths, plus lots and lots of new ones too."
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