Looks like Europe is importing another piece of US economic culture

"El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!" (lightningzone) 01/21/2015 at 17:42 • Filed to: None

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The depressing Dollar store, becomes the equally depressing 1 euro shop. Too bad for them, I guess.

ranwhenparked > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/21/2015 at 17:52

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They didn't have Euro stores already? Shocking it took them that long to grasp the concept.

Personally, I always thought there was an undeserved market with a modern 5 and 10. Make everything $5 or $10 - better quality merchandise than a dollar store, but still really affordable. Too bad Foot Locker Group is so protective of the Woolworths name.

djmt1 > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/21/2015 at 17:53

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No need to import in Blighty.

BATC42 > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/21/2015 at 17:53

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We've had them for a long time. I remember when they where advertising selling stuff for 10 Franc (so earlier than 2000)

crowmolly > ranwhenparked 01/21/2015 at 17:54

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Like Five Below?

For Sweden > djmt1 01/21/2015 at 17:55

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Is Poundland near Pound Town?

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/21/2015 at 17:55

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This guy buys things from poundland/99p stores/poundworld and reviews them.

Entertainment, folks.

ranwhenparked > crowmolly 01/21/2015 at 17:56

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Yes, but with a semantic distinction.

Tohru > For Sweden 01/21/2015 at 18:00

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Don't you know what cities are near your mom's hometown?

Cé hé sin > djmt1 01/21/2015 at 18:04

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Or anyplace else.

KirkyV > djmt1 01/21/2015 at 18:09

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Poundland, 99p Stores, Poundworld... It goes on. My town's 99p Stores used to be Woolworths, which I find immensely depressing.

KirkyV > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 01/21/2015 at 18:10

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It really is, though.

KirkyV > ranwhenparked 01/21/2015 at 18:11

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The Woolworths brand name apparently represents something very different between the US, UK and Australia.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > BATC42 01/21/2015 at 18:16

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Wow, low value currency. The Swiss franc appears to be worth more than the dollar nowadays.

ranwhenparked > KirkyV 01/21/2015 at 18:19

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Not that different. The UK and US stores used to be the same company, but the British business was eventually spun off when things started to go wrong financially.

The Australian supermarkets are very different, but they were named after the American company, since they hadn't bothered to register the trademark in Australia.

djmt1 > KirkyV 01/21/2015 at 18:22

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Mine used to be W.H.Smith. I'm not missing them or the £1.50 Twixs.

KirkyV > ranwhenparked 01/21/2015 at 18:23

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I knew about the original connection, but I thought the split had happened a good deal earlier. Woolworth's wasn't exactly a '5 and 10' shop, here, but rereading your comment, I don't think you actually said that it was over there?

BATC42 > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/21/2015 at 18:29

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Yeah I heard they revaluated the CHF. As for me I was talking about the old French franc, before we got the Euro. Basically at the time 1€ was equal to 6.56 France.

KirkyV > djmt1 01/21/2015 at 18:32

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Yah, we've still got one of those. I don't think I've ever been in there to actually buy something.

Our old M&S is now a Wilkinson's - or 'Wilco', I suppose - and, while I rarely I actually went in there, I have to admit that I kind of miss it. We still have one attached to a petrol station down the road from Tescos, but it just isn't the same.

ranwhenparked > KirkyV 01/21/2015 at 18:33

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It was way back when it first started. Frank Woolworth was the first person to sell merchandise for either 5 or 10 cents. That changed over time though, due primarily to inflation. Certainly by the 1950s, they had become more of an ordinary general merchandise store, but I know older people still referred to them as "five and tens" into the 1990s, many decades after that pricing strategy was abandoned. Some of their older stores also still had 5 and 10 signage in place on the facade.

The company really started declining in the '70s, and the British stores were split off some time in the early'80s to raise money to keep the American business running.

Of course, much like Sears/K-Mart or even Studebaker, they didn't actually invest any of that money on marketing or store renovations and upgrades, but instead used it to diversify and buy up a bunch of other retail chains while their core business continued falling apart.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > BATC42 01/21/2015 at 18:45

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My mom wanted to buy a bunch of Swiss francs, hoping it will reach 2 or even 2.50 dollars per franc in a few months. I told her not to, the Swiss franc is way too volatile for currency gambling.

The Swiss should just switch to the euro, like everyone else.

djmt1 > KirkyV 01/21/2015 at 19:14

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I wish I had a local M&S well technically I do but there is a slight problem getting there...

Many people think it must be nice living next to the river but when the things you like are on the other side and the nearest bridge or tunnel are miles away in either direction it sucks.

KirkyV > djmt1 01/21/2015 at 19:20

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Sounds like it's time to buy a boat! (Yadda yadda, impractical, impossible, yadda yadda BOATS ARE COOL)

BZiel > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! 01/22/2015 at 09:29

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They've been here in Germany for quite a while now.