HIGH STREETS across the country could welcome back Woolworths, according to some reports.

St Helens' Woolworths site closed down in 2009, but new reports suggest that the much-missed brand could return to the high street.

Store closures across the country left 27,000 people out of a job at the start of 2009 and 815 empty stores on the high street.

Since the collapse, the majority of units have been taken over by discount chains with St Helens shop on Church Street housing Poundland for a spell.

The store now stands empty and is due to demolished as part of St Helens' town centre regeneration plans.

The low-cost store Poundland owns the biggest number of ex-Woolworth premises, followed by food chain Iceland and discount homewares store chain B&M Bargains, according to research company Radius.

In 2009 when its British shops closed after the financial crisis, the brand in Germany, where it is known as Woolworth, was saved by HH Holding.

Current HH Holding chief Roman Heini seeks to expand internationally and says the UK is on his 'bucket list' of destinations.

Mr Heini - who has worked in executive positions in both Aldi and Lidl and has been Woolworth's chief executive since 2020 - told trade magazine Retail Week that despite the challenges of a cost-of-living crisis he had the opportunity to 'make Woolworth great again.'

Woolworth Germany told the BBC: "The brand name 'Woolworth' (without the 's') is owned by us throughout Europe.

"Should we ever plan to return to the UK, we would scrutinise the naming rights to minimise the risk of confusion.

"A transfer of rights could help if necessary."

Woolworth Germany said it was 'unable to confirm any plans for Woolworth to return to the UK market' but that such a move was not ruled out in principle.

"Britain is on his [Roman Heini's] bucket list"

"Britain is on his [Roman Heini's] bucket list, although nothing is imminent," a spokesperson said, adding 'it may be in the mix' for the future.