Woolworths first came to Plymouth in 1915, six years after the company was founded in Liverpool. During the war years, Woolworths and several other retailers moved to a temporary location in the market where it kept its outlet for almost 10 years. But in 1951 Woolworths announced a new location on New George Street, which was its home until its demise. The opening of the superstore, with contemporary reports by The Western Evening Herald saying that some 8,000 people turned up to the grand opening according to the Woolworths Museum.