VIDEO: Goodbye to Woolies

THE shutters have been pulled down for the last time at Woolworths stores, with Glasgow's biggest branch among the final ones to say goodbye to customers.

THE shutters have been pulled down for the last time at Woolworths stores, with Glasgow's biggest branch among the final ones to say goodbye to customers.

Woolies' in Argyle Street closed its doors after the firm hit trouble in November with debts of £385million.

It closed yesterday along with stores in Shawlands and Byres Road and dozens of others across the country.

Bargain-hunters clamoured to snap up the last of the stock, with prices slashed by up to 90% as the 6pm closing time neared.

CDs, bottles of water, kids' clothes, paper plates and greetings cards were among the few products remaining on the shelves - and even they were for sale along with office furniture, hanging rails and lockers.

In some stores goodbye and thank you messages were left pinned to walls.

Though many shoppers said they were sad to see the demise of the high street favourite, most were also thrilled with their bargains.

Trainee chef Katherine Gemmell, 22, from Johnstone picked up a pile of shirts and trousers for her daughter's school uniform. She said: "They were £3 but have 80% off and I have also got some gym shoes for 20p, so it will all cost about £7.

"It would usually cost me about £60 even at Woolworths.

"I'm going to miss it. As a lassie I used to go every week to spend my pocket money."

Others just came for a last look at the store which became a big part of people's lives during its 99-year history.

Margaret Aire, 67, from Townhead, said: "I remember my mum bought her wedding ring from here for 6p.

"I still have it in a wee box. It's sad that it's closing. It was always really handy."

Charity worker Tony Hughes, 19, of Cowcaddens even recorded the moment on his mobile phone video.

He said: "I'm really sad to see it go. I grew up with it I used to come here for greetings cards and sweets. I just came in for one last look."

Staff were also taking pictures of themselves together in the aisles as they prepared to lose their jobs. They are among the 27,000 staff made redundant from more than 800 UK Woolworths stores.

One worker said: "We are sad and feel it was unexpected. Most people do not have jobs to go to.

"The customers have been saying they are really sad to see us go. We have to work until Friday though, and strip the store back to the bricks."

All of the 807 Woolworths stores around the UK have been closing in stages since December.

The loss of Glasgow's Shawlands store has been seen as a major blow for the South Side, as the Shawlands Arcade where it was based has already suffered a major downturn in trading over the past few years.

One member of staff there said: "The customers are just as upset as us and have been coming in with cards and gifts and hugging us.

"They say they will miss us when we go as we are a focal point of Shawlands. People come here to go to Woolworths and not really any of the other shops.

"We are all really sad this has happened and we don't really understand why."

The other Glasgow branch in Dumbarton Road, Partick, closed last month. Others in Rutherglen, Kirkintill-och, Johnstone, Dumbar-ton and Clydebank have also shut.

Administrator Deloitte was unable to find a buyer for the firm and now hopes the individual sites will be sold.

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce chief executive Richard Cairns is confident a buyer will be found for the two-floor Argyle Street unit.

He said: "It is a sad day to lose such a famous name and a major employer.

"However the Argyle Street store is in a good location in the heart of the city centre, close to Buchanan Street and Central Station, and I am optimistic it will be attractive to retailers."


Emotional . . . staff in Argyle Street couldn't hide their feelings as they gathered in the city centre store for the last time, right		Workers in Shawlands penned a poem for store's customers	Taking stock . . . the last items are removed from the shelves

TIMES FILE

The first Woolworths store was opened by Frank Woolworth in Pennsylvania, US, on June 21, 1879.

The first UK branch, in Liverpool, followed in 1909. That number grew to more than 800 with 81 stores in Scotland.

Woolworths has had West of Scotland stores at Partick, Byres Road Shawlands, Argyle Street, The Forge - all Glasgow - and at Braehead, Rutherglen, Cumbernauld, Kirk-intilloch, Dumbarton, Largs, Helensburgh, Clydebank, Coatbridge, Ayr, Greenock, Airdrie and Bellshill.