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Stephen Burrows snaps up some bargain treats for his son’s birthday party |
Wonder who will take place of Woolies?
Fears supermarket could replace high street favourite
THE closure of Woolworths in Archway after more than 50 years has sparked fears for the future of the Junction Road shopping area.
At a time when the road is struggling to maintain itself as a vibrant shopping centre, residents are concerned that the demise of Woolies might lead to a large supermarket threatening the livelihood of many of the small food shops and stores. Campaigners, supported by Islington Council, have so far fought off supermarket giants’ attempts to get a foothold to move in.
But rumours suggest that the Iceland chain could be a contender for the Woolworths site and Tesco are also believed to be interested.
On Tuesday, shoppers snapped up the remaining bargains at Woolies which started at a 70 per cent reduction and by the afternoon were
down by 90 per cent.
Sharena Notice, 15, bought CDs while another shopper, Denise Sutton, purchased a bag of CDs and books.
Stephen Burrows, a teacher, had two baskets filled with dozens of bars of sweets and chocolates for his son Sebastian’s fifth birthday party.
“I thought I’d take the opportunity and stock up for the kids’ party,” said Mr Burrows. “But it is very sad.”
Islington Council opposition Labour leader, Councillor Catherine West, who lives locally, is calling for parking restrictions to be lifted at weekends in Junction Road to allow more people visit the area.
“The closure of Woolworths is a tragic loss,” she said. “It was the best place for children’s presents. I hope it’s not another nail in the coffin for Junction Road.
“I’m calling for an end to parking restrictions on Saturdays to try and breathe some life into the area.”
Jan Tucker, chairwoman of the Peabody Tenants Association, said: “I’ve been going there [Woolies] since I was a child.
“It was always a handy shop. If my granddaughter had a birthday party I could nip in and buy a toy. The staff were always so friendly. I can’t believe it has gone.”
Kate Calvert, chairwoman of the Better Archway Forum, said: “It was always useful for children’s party presents.
“You could buy cheap tracksuits for kids, plates, sewing materials, in fact all the things you buy in Woolworths.
“It was a very useful multi-purpose store and won’t be replaced by a modern store – because modern stores don’t do what it did.”
Hillrise ward Lib Dem councillor Craig Foxsmith shopped in Woolsaid: “When a major British institution like Woolworths is forced to close you know you have a major credit crunch crisis on the high street.”
Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn was also saddened by the closure. He said: “It’s been a popular local store and I understand locally it was doing very well. I’m sad and sorry for the staff in the store, the people who used it, and also for the future of Junction Road.
“It means that we now have a number of empty stores, which is very bad news for the street.” |
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