thought this looked interesting,does have a section re WW2 apologies if posted before The Woolworths Virtual Museum
CL1 Many thanks ! Hadn't seen it before and found it fascination. I can even remember buying the camera that came in at least three parts, each at 6 pence. Wonderful nostalgic stuff and well worth a visit to the site.
End of the sixpenny maximum price " End of an era The British Woolworth was founded as the Threepenny and Sixpenny stores, and stuck rigidly to these price points despite its US parent abandonning them altogether in 1935, and its German sister company dropping them just four years after its first store opened. It had proved a winning formula which had seen the chain outpace the competition and establish itself as the country's largest retailer. But, in 1940, with the world at war and with most suppliers working at full capacity producing munitions and goods to support H.M. Forces, executives were faced with the stark reality that they must change or die. The limits were officially suspended rather than dropped as customer reaction was monitored. Fortunately shoppers flocked to the stores for the higher priced items, admiring the breadth of range that the Buyers managed to keep available and the spirit of the staff in "carrying on" despite the hostilities. The fixed price era passed gently away as everyone focused on the greater goal of preventing an invasion and driving back the enemy." "Farewell 3d and 6d, hello rationing The outbreak of war forced prices upwards. The increases were fuelled by shortages as suppliers switched to manufacturing for the war effort. This gave the Woolworth Board a dilemma. Either they had to abandon some of the key ranges, or to drop the sixpenny price limit which had been the defining feature of the Company for more than thirty years. They reluctantly decided to put prices up, at least for the duration of the war. The store in Hammersmith, West London, was among the first to get a new look, with no mention of the prices. They were replaced by the "Diamond W" motif at either side of the name. The layout matched the approach that had been used in North America and Germany since 1932" etc...
This is so true. I can remember being disappointed to receive two 45s from an aunt at Christmas, only to discover one was "Be Mine" by the Bell Notes, while the other was something equally dreadful by Craig Douglas. Me and a mate took them out into the garden and attacked them with a 14 lb sledge hammer! The gap between generations in the 1960s was as wide as the Pacific.