F. W. Woolworth Company F. W. Woolworth Company The F. W. Woolworth Company (often referred to as Woolworth's or Woolworth) was a retail company and one of the original pioneers of the five-and-dime store. It was arguably the most successful American and international five-and-dime business, setting trends and creating the modern retail model that stores follow worldwide today. The first Woolworth store was opened by Frank Winfield Woolworth on February 22, 1878, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store" in Utica, New York. Though it initially appeared to be successful, the store soon failed. When Woolworth searched for a new location, a friend suggested Lancaster,
Woolworth GmbH Woolworth GmbH Deutsche Woolworth GmbH & Company OHG is a chain of department stores in Germany, Austria and a former subsidiary of the American F. W. Woolworth Company. It is not part of the closure scheme that has affected the British Woolworths Group stores, nor is it related to the Australian-based Woolworths Limited retail group. F. W. Woolworth Co. GmbH was founded in 1927 as a subsidiary of the American company F. W. Woolworth Company. When still part of the parent company, corporate documents refer to the division as Retail Company of Germany, Inc.. The German subsidiary separated from its