TryGOLD- Free

Our high-street stalwarts don’t deserve to survive
The Independent|January 28, 2025
With the news that another veteran retailer may be shutting its doors, Helen Coffey wonders whether any of the UK’s heritage chains can cling on amid the digital shopping storm
- Helen Coffey
Our high-street stalwarts don’t deserve to survive

Age is just a number. This line is usually trotted out by divorced men of a certain age by way of excusing their decision to date a 23-year-old. But these days it could just as easily apply to Britain’s beleaguered veteran high street chains – because, as it turns out, having a long and illustrious heritage that can be traced back hundreds of years means precisely nothing in the cutthroat world of modern shopping. Age really is just a number when it comes to retailers failing in the 21st century.

First came Woolworths (RIP). Although originally American, the brand was embraced by Brits after it crossed the pond in 1909, as familiar a staple in suburban shopping centres up and down the country as any of its homegrown peers. Woolies is where I used my birthday money to buy my first ever album on cassette; it’s where I would splurge pocket money reserves on eyewateringly expensive pick’n’mix, whose astronomical price only became apparent once it was weighed at the till (by which point it was too late to back out). Life without Woolworths was unthinkable and yet, in the blink of an eye, it was all too real. A hundred years after the first UK shop opened in Liverpool, all 807 branches closed up for good in 2009 following the financial crash.

Next on the chopping block was national treasure Wilkinson’s – officially shortened to “Wilko” from 2012 onwards – whose last remaining stores limped quietly offstage in October 2023. Founded as a single hardware shop in Leicester in 1930, it didn’t quite hit the century mark before a rapid tumble into administration led to its 400 branches being axed. Where will prospective students buy their spatulas and starter-kitchen kits from now? Where will I pick up cheap fence paint, gas safety lighters and a bewildering assortment of screwdrivers on a whim?

This story is from the January 28, 2025 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 28, 2025 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE INDEPENDENTView All
‘Old dogs’ find their bite to script an unlikely plot twist
The Independent

‘Old dogs’ find their bite to script an unlikely plot twist

The post from Jamie George on social media was typically wry. “There’s life in the old dogs yet,” George quipped beneath a snap of the England hooker and old mucker Elliot Daly, with the pair good mates, club colleagues and international stalwarts.

time-read
4 mins  |
February 11, 2025
How Art Deco became this year’s hottest home trend
The Independent

How Art Deco became this year’s hottest home trend

In 2025, we’re going back in time 100 years, to be precise, says Rachel Loos, who explores the origins of the aesthetic and how it’s roared back into fashion... with a fresh twist

time-read
4 mins  |
February 11, 2025
‘Clasico’ rivalry has a bitter edge after Ballon d’Or snub
The Independent

‘Clasico’ rivalry has a bitter edge after Ballon d’Or snub

Real Madrid appear to hold all the power ahead of tonight’s first-leg showdown in east Manchester,

time-read
4 mins  |
February 11, 2025
Jurors told how Rushdie was stabbed repeatedly in attack
The Independent

Jurors told how Rushdie was stabbed repeatedly in attack

Hadi Matar, 27, said Free Palestine’ as he entered court in western New York accused of the 2022 assault on the author

time-read
3 mins  |
February 11, 2025
It’s America Last for Tesla when it comes to taxation
The Independent

It’s America Last for Tesla when it comes to taxation

The carmaker enjoyed incredible advantages when it made losses, so why does it pay such little US tax now it’s in profit?

time-read
4 mins  |
February 11, 2025
Tractor tax protest brings Westminster to a standstill
The Independent

Tractor tax protest brings Westminster to a standstill

Hundreds of vehicles blockaded streets as MPs debated a petition that requests inheritance tax relief stays for farms

time-read
4 mins  |
February 11, 2025
Nursery fees set to soar by 10% in wake of tax hike
The Independent

Nursery fees set to soar by 10% in wake of tax hike

Parents face a significant financial hit with nursery fees set to soar by 10 per cent in the wake of Rachel Reeves’s controversial tax hikes on employers, a major new survey has found.

time-read
4 mins  |
February 11, 2025
Six Nations debate reignites after Wales fall to a new low
The Independent

Six Nations debate reignites after Wales fall to a new low

Looking out over a sorry, soggy scene in Rome, an ailing emperor surveyed a once formidable empire now in ruin.

time-read
4 mins  |
February 11, 2025
Taking it on the chin: meet the new holy grail of beauty
The Independent

Taking it on the chin: meet the new holy grail of beauty

A sculpted or snatched’ jawline has swelled the ranks of impossible standards to live up to, bemoans Katie Rosseinsky

time-read
5 mins  |
February 11, 2025
Why has Labour changed its tone on illegal immigration?
The Independent

Why has Labour changed its tone on illegal immigration?

It’s not that long ago that the then Labour opposition was arguing that lawful immigration helped the economy grow, and that they wanted more “safe and secure routes” for refugees.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 11, 2025

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Learn more