Farewell to wonder of Woolies

ANOTHER 200 Woolworths stores closed yesterday, after being given a one-day reprieve by administrators.

The outlets were due to shut on Friday, but Deloitte pushed the closures back a day to give the stores more time to clear their remaining stock. Among the stores trading for the last time yesterday were three Scottish branches; in Hawick, Galashiels and Castle Douglas.

The final closure deadline for the retailer has also been delayed by a day, with the remaining 200 stores across the country now set to close on Tuesday.

A Deloitte spokesman said: "There are two main reasons for delaying the closures. One, stock levels – there's still some stock remaining. Two, workload – it's a big logistical exercise. The remaining dates were delayed to allow time for the final arrangements to be made."

More than half the UK stores have already shut down. At least 150 of the retailer's 807 outlets held their last day of trading on December 30, with everything, including the fixtures and fittings, on sale at discount prices. The firm's collapse leaves 27,000 workers facing redundancy.