Shoppers stampede at Woolies
Thousands of shoppers are rushing to get their hands on bargains in Staffordshire and the West Midlands as Woolworths promised to slash its prices after failed rescue efforts to find a new buyer.
Thousands of shoppers are rushing to get their hands on bargains in Staffordshire and the West Midlands as Woolworths promised to slash its prices after failed rescue efforts to find a new buyer.
Queues of frantic shoppers snaked around branches in the region to snap up cut-price gifts as part of the store's closing-down sale.
The sale has been launched after administrators announced they had so far failed to find a buyer for the retailer, leaving up to 25,000 jobs at risk.
Staff at Woolworths branches in the region - including stores in Cannock, Lichfield and Stafford - were working frantically this morning as people queued for around 40 minutes at the tills.
Many of the discounts offered were the same as those offered under the 50 per cent sale launched last week, leaving those looking for massive bargains disappointed.
Discount tags and stickers going up in branches across the region included a child's bike normally costing £159.99 down to £79.99, and a child's music system, complete with electronic keyboard and drums down from £79.99 to £39.99.
Prices on goods including toys, CDs and wrapping paper were slashed by up to 50 per cent at Cannock's Market Place branch.
In Wolverhampton's city centre branch, Christmas wrapping paper was today being sold off for 50p a roll and 10 per cent was being cut from chart DVDs and festive chocolate selection boxes.
More than 150 people had gathered outside the store's Kidderminster branch waiting for its doors to open at 8.30am.
Store manager Neil Inman praised the "diligence" of his staff and said their commitment had been "outstanding".
Workers were instructed not to talk about their fears as they continued to deal with crowds of shoppers.
Security guards at the Walsall branch, where the queue wound around the corner ahead of the store's opening at 8am, prevented the Express & Star from talking to shoppers or talking to people inside the store.
Bargains there included 50 per cent off children's clothes, 30 per cent off toys and 30 per cent off household electrical items.
