18/09/2009 - New WeeW store replaces old Woolies
An old Woolworths store has been given a new lease of life with former employees in the Outer Hebrides starting up their own shop, called WeeW.
It is managed by the same man who ran the Woolworth's branch before it folded nine months ago, and ex-employees are working and investing in the new store in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
WeeW will sell similar items but hopes to have better fortune than the high street giant, which had debts of £385 million when it closed 815 shops in January.
The new store is named after its predecessor, and staff have expressed hope that shoppers will return to the high street and "fill the void" left in Stornoway. WeeW also created employment on the island, and Terry Ovenstone, the manager, was amazed by the "incredible" reaction of local residents.
He said: "We're amazed by the interest shown by islanders in this new venture. The support has been incredible. There has been a constant buzz on the street outside the store and there's certainly a buzz inside the store.
"Woolies was an institution in Stornoway, and the economic and social impact of its closure is still being felt," he added.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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