UK shoppers flocked to Woolworths stores today at the start of closing-down sales, emptying shelves and snapping up bargains, as thousands of shopworkers faced the axe.
Huge queues built up at some of the chain's 813 stores after the sale was announced by administrator Deloitte following the failure to find a buyer for the struggling firm.
Deloitte warned some stores could close before the end of December if no offers for the business emerged, and there were fears some staff will be laid off before Christmas.
Huge signs exclaiming Store Closing and All Stock Reduced were placed in store windows and business was brisk, with toys, sweets and electrical items among the goods being snapped up.
Many shoppers said they would be sad to see Woolworths go out of business, but it didn't stop them filling their bags with reduced products.
Deloitte has held talks with the likes of former Woolworths CEO Geoff Mulcahy and Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis but no deals have been struck.
The complexity of the group's leases and difficulty in restocking the business after Christmas has reportedly put off interested parties.
But rival retailers are understood to have agreed to buy hundreds of store leases - including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Iceland - as many of the group's outlets have planning permission to sell food. Some employees could subsequently find jobs with the new owners.
Woolworths has been in business for almost a century but was forced to call in administrators two weeks ago as debts and losses mounted in a worsening high street climate. The group employs 30,000 staff, with around 25,000 working in retail.
Deloitte - which has already launched a massive sale with up to 50% off toys and gifts to generate cash for creditors - had previously pledged that stores would carry on trading beyond Christmas while a rescue deal was sought.
