Sadness as Woolworths' Birmingham city centre store prepares to close

Jan 1 2009 by Kat Keogh, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM will lose one of its best-known stores this weekend when the flagship city centre Woolworths finally shuts down.

The Pallasades branch will lock its doors for good on Saturday as part of the ailing store giant’s national programme of closures.

Around 70 staff work at the store but assistant manager Steve Crowdy admitted there was little for them to do as customers picked the shelves clean.

Scores of the once-proud store chain’s Midland branches have already shut their doors, with the latest casualties including shops at Yardley, Kingstanding, Acocks Green, Northfield and Cotteridge earlier this week.

Mr Crowdy said Saturday would be a sad day as Woolworths had a proud history in Birmingham, including a store in the old Bull Ring.

“Our staff take a lot of pride in our store and so what is happening is depressing,” he said.