Non-food discounter Woolworth reaches milestone of 1,000 stores in Europe

German non-food discounter Woolworth opened its thousandth store in Europe last week. The retailer plans to open more than 200 additional stores this year and is aiming for 5,000 locations in the long term.

High ambitions

The thousandth Woolworth opened last week in Essen. “The 1000th store is an important step for us and confirms the viability of our business model,” said Woolworth director Roman Heini in a press release. “We continue to grow consistently, invest in new stores and thereby strengthen our presence in cities.”

The retailer now has around 850 stores in Germany and sees potential for 1,500 stores in the country. The chain is also active in Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Expansion into other countries is planned. The ambitions are high: this year, the company will open more than 200 stores, half of which will be in Germany. On its website, the company states that its goal is to have more than 5,000 branches throughout Europe.

Woolworth sells a varied range of clothing, household textiles, household items, toys, DIY tools, decorations, electrical goods, and drugstore products.