What Happened to Woolworth (US)?

F.W. Woolworth popularized the five-and-dime format—fixed low prices, broad everyday assortment, and lunch counters that became cultural touchstones (and civil-rights landmarks). As specialty big boxes and discount chains rose, Woolworth’s variety format waned. In 1997 the company closed its remaining U.S. Woolworth stores, rebranded as Venator Group, and ultimately Foot Locker, Inc.—today a global athletic retailer—while international Woolworth banners followed their own paths. _Fun note:_ the 1913 Woolworth Building in New York, long among the world’s tallest, was widely reported as paid in cash by Frank W. Woolworth.