// Social media in a frenzy over rumours that Woolworths is making a comeback
// However, the Twitter account claiming to be Woolworths could not be verified
// The owner of the Woolworths brand, The Very Group, also said it was not aware of plans for a comeback
The owner of the Woolworths brand name has poured cold water over plans that the much-loved retailer was poised for a comeback, despite a Twitter frenzy suggesting otherwise.
This morning, a Twitter account claiming to be from Woolworths said the store was returning to the high street, with three trial outlets due to open late 2021.
Our return will be via. 3 trial stores, that are being planned to open late 2021. Can’t wait to be back! ❤️ https://t.co/HPT9g3saLj
— Woolworths UK (@UKWoolworths) October 27, 2020
However, Retail Gazette has been unable to verify the account, and has not yet received a response after contacting it for more information.
Further doubts were raised after the link to yourwoolworths.co.uk on the Twitter account’s bio was not working at the time of writing, and several tweets contained spelling errors, such as “Woolsworths”, were spotted.
So… we’re popular (that’s for sure!)
Our trial stores will open in 2021. Very own the online Woolsworths, so we will be retail only. Before we launch we have a few legal contracts to sign, but we’re super excited!
This will be your Woolsworths ❤️ pic.twitter.com/SwEXD1Gs3w
— Woolworths UK (@UKWoolworths) October 27, 2020
Meanwhile, The Very Group – the company that now owns the Woolworths name – told The Daily Mail that it had not heard of any plans to open Woolworths stores.
After being contacted by Retail Gazette, a spokesperson 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 Very Group acquired the Woolworths trademark in 2009 and at one point operated its online store after the bricks-and-mortar stores all shut down due to an administration.
However, since 2015 the woolworths.co.uk domain name has redirected automatically to the online store of Very.
READ MORE:
- Brits still want Woolworths to return to the high street
- 10 years after Woolworths’ collapse, what can retailers learn?
- Woolworths poised for a comeback
Woolworths, famous for its pick ‘n’ mix sweets, children’s clothes, homewares, CDs and DVDs, went into administration in late 2008 on the back of £400 million worth of debt.
Administrators struggled to find a buyer for the retailer and its eventual collapse led to the loss of 27,000 jobs and 807 store closures.
The last Woolworths store shut its doors in January 2009.
In April 2017, former Woolworths managing director Tony Page hinted that the brand could return to the high street.
According to a report in the Daily Star, Page had approached Shop Direct – the former name of The Very Group – to buy back the Woolworths brand.
“They have taken the website down, so I’m curious now as to what might happen next because I still think the brand has got some propriety in spite of what happened in the past,” Page said at the time.
“I feel as though if the brand name was available it would still be a possibility to bring it back.
“I would want it to be much more a part of the community. The stores that really used to do well were those that were at the heart of the community, rather than being in the big shopping centres.”
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