AILEEN McEwen remembers the halcyon days of Woolworths when, as a schoolgirl, she would rush round its wooden-floored aisles before placing her carefully chosen bag of pic 'n' mix on the mahogany counter.
It is a childhood memory universal to almost every Scot. If not on confectionery, pocket money was spent on hit singles or the latest toys.
And even in the age of Amazon, Ms McEwen, 33, remained faithful to the store in Helensburgh. "I've been coming here since I was buying sweeties in my schooldays," she says. "It's got great variety, and you can't beat things like the Ladybird children's clothes."
Yet the nostalgic pull of Woolies is not enough to save it. Years of falling profits and increased competition yesterday culminated in the announcement that administrators had been appointed to its retail arm.
Had the famous name survived a little longer, it would have been a century since the canny New Yorker Frank Woolworth exported his "five and dime" concept to these shores.
The notion – offer a bewildering array of mass-market goods cheaply – thrived beyond the post-war years.
The swinging sixties saw more than 1,000 Woolworths stores scattered throughout Britain; even notoriously hard-to-please social circles in Edinburgh relished a cuppa in its Princes Street tearoom. But despite the praises of shoppers such as Ms McEwen, the Woolworths of the 21st century occupied a muddled, if fondly regarded position on the high street.
Take Helensburgh in Argyllshire, where, following the departure of the Co-op two years ago, Woolies has been one of the main retail presences.
Inside, the merchandising is bamboozling. Yesterday, posters of pop stars and actors were stacked next to tablecloths, while Dairy Milk bars were offered alongside skipping ropes.
A lure, maybe, to empty the purses of guilty chocoholics, but it came across as little more than organised bric-a-brac. One wall is dominated by the famous pic 'n' mix racks, offering the very worst of dentists' nightmares.
David Mullen best described the shopping experience within. "Fusty," he proclaimed. Not that Mr Mullen should be considered a critic of the West Clyde Street outlet. "Woolworths is cheap and cheerful," the 29-year-old added. "It's got a good variety. You can go in there for an ironing board and you'll maybe pick up gardening tools.
"It does have a dowdy, fusty old image, but the shop's been here since I was young and my mum and dad say they remember it being here long ago." His sister, Ms Mullen, had a similar view.
"It's not one of those stores that would be my first choice if I was going out shopping, or go out of my way to call into, but you'll usually pop in and leave with a CD or DVD you weren't looking for," she said.
"Put it this way, if you walked down the street tomorrow and found it was no longer there, then you would miss it."
Yesterday, Woolies had provided her with a present for a new baby – a cuddly lion.
It is an example of the diverse product range that has repelled as many shoppers as it attracted, but as administrators rake over its carcase, it appears the former king of the retail jungle will roar no more.
Click here to read Deputy Business Editor Scott Reid's blog on the demise of WoolworthsHistory of an all-round favourite1879: Frank Woolworth opens his first store filled with five-cent merchandise. The New York branch is not a success, but a similar outlet in Pennsylvania attracts crowds.
1909: Woolworths' first subsidiary in the UK opens in Liverpool. There are vast crowds.
1920s: A Woolworths is opened every 18 days.
1950s: The company embarks on a huge expansion programme at the beginning of the decade, with 330 openings over a six-year period.
1982: The chain is taken over by Patermoster, later to become Kingfisher.
1990s: Big W stores open to compete with superstore retailers, but the idea fails.
2001: Floated on the London Stock Exchange.
2002: Poor Christmas sales and overstocking see the chain make losses of £46 million.
2006: Pre-tax profits fall 20 per cent to £43.7 million, blamed on competition for clothing sales.
2007: Further poor sales results mean the future of the brand is questioned by City analysts.
