The blunder of Woolies?

There is a lot being written about the current disaster at Woolworth – about what went wrong with the the brand. The thing that intrigues me however is that despite the various commercial mistakes, there is still a good deal of warmth and goodwill towards the brand.  I feel it myself and I’m unsure if it is just the place the brand has occupied in my history… in my narrative landscape.

I’ve talked a lot about brand damage in the past, but I get the feeling that the Woolworth brand can survive. Perhaps it is because the brand has really not disappointed its customers who had very modest expectations, but only failed its shareholders.  Or perhaps it is just the investment in the brand over 100 years that cannot be ignored.

So where does the value lie now: in a couple of hundred retail leases, dubious stock, or the Woolworth name and brand?  I know what I would be looking to buy at the fire-sale.