Popular UK store Woolworths, which once had branches in Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Ipswich, could make a return to UK High Streets
Once loved for their pick ‘n’ mix sweets, it was revealed this week that Woolworths stores could return to High Street across the UKs.
Suffolk of the chain store closed permanently in 2009 due to the financial crisis – more than a century after the first branch opened in Liverpool.
Now, the chief executive of Woolworth Germany has raised hopes the chain could return to these shores, after saying the UK was his ‘bucket list’ destination in international expansion plans.
The store was a prominent staple of Suffolk High Streets, with branches in Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, Felixstowe, Ipswich,Beccles and Lowestoft.
SuffolkNews looks at where the shops once stood – and what has replaced them.
Bury St Edmunds
Bury’s Woolworths was located on Cornhill and opened in 1928, serving the town for 80 years before it closed in December 2008.
Now the site is occupied by Poundland and Sports Direct on the Cornhill side, with Tesco Express at the back oin St Andrew’s Street South.
Stowmarket
Stowmarket Woolworths opened in the early 1950s in Ipswich Street, closing in December 2008. Now it is home to Peacocks.
Ipswich
The Ipswich Woolworths, which opened in Carr Street in the 1920s, became discount shop Poundland.
In 1968 it reportedly became the biggest Woolworths in the country at the time, following a huge remodel.
Beccles
Woolworths, in New Market, stayed open until January 2009, having been described as one of the best-performing stores in the country.
At the time, it was reported that 30 employees had to find new jobs following the closure.
It is now a QD store.
Lowestoft
Lowestoft’s Woolworths was found at 109 London Road North and opened in the early 1920s.
It then housed Poundstretcher, which closed in 2021.
Felixstowe
The Hamilton Road branch was home to a Woolworths from 1931 to 2008.
The store took up the units from 47 to 51 Hamilton Road.
It is now a Peacocks clothing store.
