Description:
In our age of nationwide discount retailers, Remembering Woolworth's: A Nostalgic History of the World's Most Famous Five-and-Dime provides an entertaining look back at one of retail's most successful pioneers, F.W. Woolworth, and his empire of department stores that defined the shopping experience for millions over the course of its 118-year existence. Woolworth, considered by his first boss to be the "worst salesman in the world," overcame repeated failure and financial hardship to open his first store in 1879 in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania. Through trial and error, the young Woolworth learned that selling large quantities of low-priced merchandise led to profit. Insightfully, Woolworth made his customers feel "rich"--and generated immense customer loyalty by offering products at affordable, nickel-and-dime prices. The Woolworth Building in lower Manhattan, the tallest in the world upon its completion in 1913, embodied the strength of the retail empire that, at its peak, consisted of over 10,000 stores worldwide. The corporation was eventually sold in 1997. Remembering Woolworth's combines personal testimony, black-and-white and color photos, and period graphics to create a friendly, scrapbook feel. Karen Plunkett-Powell adeptly explores the personal and professional sides of F.W. Woolworth and the success of his "Red-Fronts" both domestically and abroad. She is at her best, however, in recapturing the particulars of the Woolworth shopping experience: the counter girls, seasonal traditions, collectibles, and lunch counters. At times historically light and colloquial, Remembering Woolworth's nevertheless brings back to life one of retail's most influential entrepreneurs and one of the world's most endearing department stores. --Bertina Loeffler-Sedlack
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