​​Woolworths still much missed, 15 years after it closed in Bognor Regis and Chichester

The Bognor Regis store closed for good on December 27, 2008, and shoppers spoke to the Observer at the time about their sadness. Many bagged a bargain from its closing down sale but admitted they wished the shop was staying open.

Wendy Bowness from Elmer Sands said: "It’s very sad to see the store like it is. You feel guilty going in there. Woolworths is part of the tradition of shopping and something you grew up with. I go there every week, buying the children’s clothes and toys and I used the Woolworths Big Red catalogue when that came out.

"The store shutting is going to take the heart out of the precinct. I don’t want to see any more charity shops take its place. We want something which is a bit uplifting and going to bring the standard of the town centre up a bit. A department store would be good."

Kinga Stachowiak from Bognor Regis had been a regular shopper in Woolworths for three years and one of her favourite buys was its kitchenware range.

"It’s not good to see it close because it’s quite a good store," she stated. "I go in there every Friday and every Sunday. I’ve bought a lot of stuff there which is quite cheap and I will miss it. I would like to see a clothes shop go in there. I don’t like the ones that are here. Everybody goes around wearing the same things."

Ed Mullen from Elmer said: "It’s a shame Woolworths is going because it’s a tradition. Everyone tends to buy everything from supermarkets nowadays but the loss of Woolworths will mean less choice.

"I always go in there when I’m in the town centre, probably once or twice a week. I’ve bought CDs, toys for my nephews – all kinds of things. That’s the whole point of Woolworths. You could get anything in there from a plug to a DVD player.

"I would like to see a few cafes in the town centre. I think Bognor is pretty close to dying under the weight of its own boredom."

A week later, it was Chichester turn and the city lost one of its oldest tenants on January 3, 2009, when Woolworths closed its doors for the last time.

Thought to have opened its North Street shop in the 1920s, Woolies – as it was affectionately known – was an essential part of the British shopping experience.

Speaking to the Observer 15 years ago, Jonathan Harry, who was president of Chichester Chamber of Commerce, said: "We are sorry for those staff who are losing their jobs and I think it is a reflection on the national economy, not just Chichester.

"I think it is very serious, it is a sign of how tough things are. Personally I am sad about it. It has been a part of Chichester for years."

Patricia King, who went to Woolworths to say goodbye with her grandsons from Bracklesham Bay, said: "We’ve come here especially to go to Woolworths as the boys wanted to spend their Christmas money on toys and games. They are so disappointed because practically everything has sold out.

"Once upon a time you used to be able to buy everything from Woolies. It will be a very, very sad day when the stores are no longer a familiar sight on the high street."

The loss of Woolworths left a big gap in North Street as it occupied one of the larger retail spaces in the city. The shop is currently occupied by Boots.