The German Woolworth [] GmbH & CO. OHG is a retail chain in Germany. Nearly all Non Food articles, mainly however textiles, are offered household articles, stationery, play goods, shoes, leather goods as well as sweet goods.

History in the USA

Franc Winfield Woolworth was born on 13 April 1852. He spent its life on the farm of his parents in Great Bend, N.Y. By different jobs as salesmen and warehouse workers he landed in a loading of moorlands & Smith.Damals was usual finally it to store and the customer only when desired get the goods out hidden in shelves and lay. In addition there were hardly fixed prices. The idea Woolworths was now to present many articles at a fixed price of 5 cent openly on counters. This was a new and nearly revolutionary idea in the range of the retail trade. The customer could grasp the entire offer, compares and "touches". 1879 were opened the first Woolworth shop in Lancester. Later the offer was supplemented around 10 cent article.

1886 were built a building for central administration in New York. 1905 were converted the meanwhile large company into a corporation, the capital amounted to at that time 10 million dollar. 1909 became the F.W. Woolworth CO. Ltd. with several partners based. To 1911 further partners were merged and one had now altogether 596 shops in enterprise. 1913 were built with the private possession Woolworths the Woolworth Building in New York and the building sum of 13,5 million dollar in bar was paid. On 8 April 1919 Woolworth deceased. It bequeathed its fortune and the majority over the enterprise of its granddaughter Barbara hat clay/tone.

Woolworth in Germany

Opened on 30 July 1927 in Bremen the first department store of Woolworth in Germany, also here again with fixed prices of 25 and 50 Pfennig and a public goods presentation. In Germany Woolworth is also under the pointed name "the Woole" (speak: Wuhle) admits. In the year 1998 the German subsidiary separated from the American parent company, which does not exist meanwhile any longer. In a management Buy Out became the DWW German Woolworth GmbH & CO. OHG with head office in Frankfurt/Main based. This is carried by the group of investors of Electra of partner Europe.

The company

The DWW possesses today 330 shops in Germany and 9 in Austria. These were divided into 202 department stores and 128 "Minis" with smaller sales area. The total sales area amounts to about 400,000 m The conversion of the DWW amounted to 2002 1.1 billion EUR. This divides on into 22% in the Foodbereich, 36% in the Nonfoodbereich and 42% into Textilbereich.Die logistics and Warenversorgung central in the distribution center into is completed. This was built 1992 and developed further to 2002. Thus today a central supply of all shops takes place from there out. The company employs about 13500 coworkers.

Current

From January to October 2004 the p.o.s. system and the IT-infrastructure were changed over. Thus a more efficient and improved goods order and a better service are to be possible. Thus e.g. at the cashes Touchscreen solutions are used on Linux basis.

Since March 2006 the enterprise tests a new, modernized concept. In Koblenz and in Frankfurt (Leipziger road) so-called Concept net curtains were opened, which are characterised by a completely new mechanism. Central element of this concept are the "market places". Here it concerns special surfaces, on which special offers and advertising post are offered. The market places stand out by a separate covering and floor organization optically against the remainder of the shop. Constructing in the near future according to certain criteria selected branches are converted on that to "market place branches".

See also

• Homepage of the German Woolworth

Articles in category "Woolworth"

We found here 4 articles.