As promised, here is the Woolworth store at the Plaza Sendero Mall in Ciudad Juarez. This is one of the 3 Woolworth stores near the US/Mexico border. The rest of the stores are located much further into the country. There is not an exact store count available, but their website lists 32 locations all throughout mostly central Mexico. The company name lives on after being acquired in 1997 when the remaining US stores closed. The company that now owns Woolworth is called Grupo Comercial Control, and has a few other brands under their control. Their other brand DelSol looks almost identical to Woolworth. There are even 2 Café Woolworth restaurants listed on their website. Either way, it had been over 20 years since I stepped inside of a Woolworth store. It was a very cool experience to step inside the modern version of what was once the largest department store chain after such a long absence in the US.
The store was actually damaged by fire and smoke in 2011 along with the nearby Wendy's.
This Woolworth store is 2 levels, but it is a very small store. Woolworth in Mexico has a huge focus on apparel, but has a large variety of products for the home as well. Prices are low and they have a sale flyer that can be found at every entrance to the store.
I had to purchase one of the red shopping bags for my collection.
This price scanner advertises their payment plan of 60 days of no interest with a 10% down payment.
The second level is mostly Womens apparel.
Kids clothing and shoes are also located on the second floor.
I always have to laugh when I see bare mannequins in an otherwise fully stocked store.
Here is a shot to see how small the second floor of the store is. This is from one side to the other. The second floor is a square.
Going down to the slightly larger 1st floor of the store.
This is a view of the variety of items Woolworth carries. This side of the store had home items, kitchen items, toys, office and school supplies, seasonal items, and a few other items.
Men's apparel on the first floor.
Summer items on the way to the checkouts.
More views of the Men's apparel.
The sign above the door is interesting, showing evacuation route.
A closer look at the sign and also the current slogan for Woolworth. Roughly translated to "Woolworth is for you".
Cosmetics, health and beauty items.
Now for the electronics department.
The electronics department was only about 2 aisles, but there is a decent variety of TV's, components, and accessories.
Candy counter just past the housewares.
A real treat, a candy counter greets people at the mall entrance.
Toys, sundries, and more Summer items.
Look below the action figure, the shelves had these cool digital price displays.
A view of the escalator through one of the toy aisles.
The checkouts are located just past the electronics. More snacks and beverages are available in the aisle leading to the checkouts.
One more quick trip upstairs.
One last glance of the health and beauty items near the registers and electronics.
Here is the outside entrance to the store.
I have not been to a Woolworth since the Woolworth Express store in Willowbrook Mall closed in the early 1990s. It's great to see a fully operational Woolworth once again. Thanks for the photos.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the Woolworths here (not counting Woolco) being as oriented towards clothing as this store, but I guess the expansion of products is a good thing. They manage to get a lot of stuff in this small store.
The electronics department has a decent amount of stuff. The odd thing is that we once again see a lot of party speakers and also stage gear as well. That's certainly not something one would see in an electronics department like this in the US. I wonder if a lot of Mexicans set up their own concerts or what.
The candy counter is a real retro feature. It's great to see that. It's kind of funny that someone can go to Mexico to get a taste, no pun intended, of what retail used to look like in the US ~50 years ago. It looks like some Mexican Woolworths even have cafes like some of the old ones here.
It would be great if we had Woolworth stores here in the US because I think they could fit a niche in the marketplace, but I guess we'll have to settle for seeing the pictures of ones from other countries like this one. It's great to see a big retail name from the past live on in another country.
They did a really good job of keeping the variety of items Woolworth was known for even with the larger clothing departments.
DeleteParties in Mexico are very popular. Families pitch in to throw big celebrations for birthdays and other life milestones. Dj's and mariachi bands are big business in Mexico just like here in Texas.
I read that there is an original operating Woolworth cafe in Bakersfield California. The store is now an antique shop but they kept the Woolworth signs and the cafe open. The pictures of that store look awesome.
There are a few more Plaza Sendero malls with a large superstore like Soriana and Woolworth. YouTube has more drone videos to see.