A look at the Leeds Woolworths stores on its closure's 15th anniversary

Over 100 years ago Woolworths opened its doors to its first Yorkshire store at 131 Briggate, in Leeds. However, 15 years ago, in 2008 the era came to an end the brand began closing its doors to its UK stores.

The first Woolworths stores opened for customers in Liverpool, on November 6, 1909, and just a year later it would be opening its fifth UK store, in Leeds, on March 8, 1910.

Located at the Exchange Buildings at 131 Briggate, Woolworths was on the ground floor, while the upstairs was used as offices and bedrooms for the Grand Central Hotel next door.

According to the Woolworths Museum, the small Victorian-gothic building was picked to attract society people as they passed on their way into the banking halls around the corner.

The store proved to be a huge success and decided to relocate on December 1, 1928, moving next door to a new Art Deco building that replaced the Albion Hotel.

During Woolworths’ Golden Jubilee year, 1959, the Leeds store was expanded and modernised – resembling the Woolworths shops in people's living memories.

Briggate said goodbye to Woolworths over 60 years after the opening of its first store, in 1987, when a well-known department store, Schofields and Rackhams, moved their store to the building when they became part of the House of Fraser chain.

However, Woolworths found a home in the Merion Centre and the Cross Gates shopping centre.

Woolworths was a lucrative business known for its entertainment, clothing, homeware and, of course, its Pick ‘n’ Mix Sweets – but this came to an end in 2008 when Woolworths Group plc entered administration. There were 807 UK Woolworths stores, including 40 in Yorkshire.

But what happened to the buildings when the chain closed?

The Briggate building, which was turned into a House of Fraser closed and earlier this year work went underway to demolish the building.

Woolworths at the Merion Centre is now a Home Bargains and the Cross Gates shopping centre Woolworths was split into two with half now being taken up by a CeX chain store.