Woolworth’s Last Customer?

woolworths last customer

I may have been Woolworth’s last customer…

On the day that all the Woolworth’s shops closed, I turned up at our local store at 5.50pm (20 mins after closing time). I was let in by the very kind staff and they proceeded to sell me the remnants of their fire sale.

here’s what i got for my £4.

283 packs of SLAM ATTAX trading cards

8 pairs of plimsoles (various sizes)

2 pairs of reading glasses (unknown prescriptions)

8 inflatable neck pillows

17 posters (including CLONE WARS, STEVEN GERRARD (whoohoo!), PIKACHU, MANCHESTER UNITED TEAM ( ):o)

2 packets of fake tan (very useful – I may experiment to see what I would look like a little darker…)

1 vinegar dispenser

20 thongs (including 2 pairs with SEXY AT SIXTY written on the front, 5 DIRTY AT THIRTY and 6 NAUGHTY AT FORTY and 3 FLIRTY AT 50)

6 pairs of Jelly sandles

1 pair purple Bratz welly boots

50 named zip pullers (including the names: RYAN, CHELSEA, CHEEKY, LUCY)

60 packets of Scooby Doo Stickers

3 Bayblade Battle Stations

17 peg bags

34 Laundry hooks

6 baby caps

4 bottles of dark brown shoe dye

1 packet of Linda Barker Tile Transfers

1 Liberty X T-shirt with instore security button with indelible dye if forced warning attached (any ideas anyone???)

17 Sindy Mobile Phone dangles

30 six inch flexible rulers

7 packets of curtain hooks

20 assorted birthday, retirement, first day of school cards (without envelopes) some with complementary footprints on them

2 packets of Pretty Princess Cute Girl light switch stickers

1 barbie pegassus hair scrunchy

4 plastic mini water pistols

I actually couldn’t get home – I ended up inching my way up the road pausing every 10 metres to rest my aching arms.

This was the best four pounds I ever spent but it may well be a metaphor for the problems that lead to the collapse of our beloved Woolworths. Who in their right mind would ever actually want to buy any of this stuff?

I must admit that something evil happened to me while the staff were loading up my pic and mix mystery bags of Woolworths detriment. All I could think of was the exciting prospect of opening up my treasure trove when I got home. I neglected to bless the staff that were going through the trauma of being made redundant. As the credit crunch crunches greed and insecurity will be in great supply, but generosity will be scarce. For Christians we have a calling to pass on the great gifts we have received from God to others – as the Bible says “freely you have received now freely give.” (Matthew 10:8) God has written off the great debt of our sin and he calls his people to pass on the generosity. Tomorrow I plan to take Tom a box of chocolates ….

Here’s a video my friend made about this: