Woolies has suffered badly due to the changing pattern of shopping, they are located on major high streets and suffer the following.
Streets full of chavs, big issue sales people, beggars, drug addicts and every other type of low life that you can imagine,, be they black, brown or white.
Expensive car parking and pubic transport.
Most of the nice shops of yester year are now mobile phone shops, fast food outlets, pound shops, banks etc, etc. Most folk that I know park in John Lewis, walk to Marks and Spencer and then finish off their trip with a stroll around John Lewis and a coffee, they then get back in their car and drive home.
On the other hand the major suburban supermarkets can now provide for most of our needs, and you can park on their doorstep, also on line shopping is here to stay.
Quite interestingly, a couple of weeks ago it was reported that Sir Alan Sugar had increased his holding in Woolies, I bet whoever gave him that tip has now heard the words 'YOUR FIRED'.