Own brand development in the 1960s and 70s
         
The orginal Winfield logo from 1963 - "it's the mark of value!"

In the 1960s, in common with other retailers, Woolworths decided to introduce a common own-brand label across all of the ranges in the store.  It was called Winfield - Frank Woolworth's middle name.
         

While many of the Winfield fashion items were of variable quality, most of the toys were very well made.  For example the Little Beauty Dressed Dolls, introduced in 1964, were of the best quality available anywhere.  Standing sixteen inches tall, they featured fully rooted hair, were fully jointed, soft to the touch and washable.  Our friend on the right celebrates her fortieth birthday this year and doesn't look a day over 21!

 One of the first Winfield Little Beauty Dolls from Woolworths in 1964. She's perfectly preserved for forty years old.
         
Winfield Race Away, another Woolworths product that's perfectly preserved forty years after it was first sold.
         
When we opened our Winfield Race Away (a battery-operated racing game) and put in our Duracells it started up right away, again forty years after it was made.  What's more these items were under half the price of the similar brand name items.
         
Winfield Dolls in Kidderminster, Worcestershire in 1969 - they are 46 shillings and sixpence each (£2.32½) The buyer chose the picturesque German City of Luebeck for this Winfield Jigsaw. A generation earlier British airmen had destroyed the City towards the end of World War II.
         
The new ranges proved very popular and sold in huge quantities, particularly in the bright new City centre stores.  But during the 1960s and 70s Woolworths was starting to fall behind, with a widening gap between the best and worst stores.
         
The Toy displays in the Oxford Street, London flagship store in 1974
         
The two photographs (above and below) were taken in the same year.  One shows the bright, large and modern store at Oxford Street, London, W1 and the other a small Staffordshire store before modernisation.   It was time for action - which you can read about later in the toys gallery of our Virtual Museum.
         
The toy displays in the Atherstone, Staffordshire Woolworths store in 1974. This was one of the last stores to convert to self-service.
         
         

Toys and Stationery Gallery Home

F. W. Woolworth & Co. Ltd. Toys
Tin toys and sixpenny notions   On the curriculum in the 1950s   Own brand development in the 1960s and 1970s

The Chad Valley Toy Company Ltd.
Early history of Chad Valley   Ruling classes and the royal warrant   Post war expansion and brand development

Best of both worlds
Toys re-launched under Operation Focus  Stationery that never stands still