BIOGRAPHY

Claire Robertson started working for Woolworths at the age of 15, as a temporary weekend assistant in Yeovil. She had risen to manager in Dorchester by the time all 800 branches were sent into administration. But rather than accept her fate, Claire made the national headlines by taking over the lease and launching her own brand - retaining 20 of the original staff.

The new Wellworths store was officially opened by Chris Evans and met with huge enthusiasm from the Dorchester public. After successfully trading through its first Christmas, it now feels like a firmly established business.

In presentations Claire explains that the new store concentrates on what she knows will sell in her own high street, unlike the old Woolworths policy of stocking every single outlet across the country with exactly the same merchandise. She is taking nothing for granted, but admits she may not stop at one shop.

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