Discount & Variety Stores London, United Kingdom
1909–2009
F. W. Woolworth opened its first British store in Liverpool in 1909, and 'Woolies' became a fixture of the UK high street for a century. It was beloved for its pic 'n' mix sweets counter, the Ladybird children's clothing line, and Chad Valley toys. The British business had become independent of its American parent decades earlier; hit hard by the 2008 financial crisis, Woolworths Group entered administration and shut its roughly 800 stores in January 2009.