How many of you worked as "Saturday girls/boys" in Woolworths?

@Wizzywig (7847)
May 12, 2010 5:24pm CST
I worked in Woolworths on Saturdays (& sometimes during school holidays)around 1970. I used to hate being on the slab cake counter where you had cut off a set weight as I could never judge it right. After a while I was 'promoted' to going round with a shoulder bag collecting excess cash from the tills & counting/logging/bagging it. Then I got to sit in a tiny office under the escalator giving out bags of change, filling in paperwork, ringing the bells to call supervisors, taking calls and dealing with customer enquiries. They got their moneys worth.... 9am-5.30pm for about £1.65. Out of that, I paid a return bus fare, a cooked lunch, a bar of chocolate, a bag of chips, a cake to take home and still saved for clothes and make-up!! Did you work for them? When? and what are your memories?
2 people like this
6 responses
@ElicBxn (63643)
• United States
14 May 10
nope, never worked for Woolworths, we did have one when I was younger, but working for them - heck - I don't know if I ever went IN them!
1 person likes this
@Wizzywig (7847)
14 May 10
Well, you've missed your chance now
@geniustiger (1694)
• Philippines
13 May 10
Yes I have done it still when I am in early days of college. I work for the store as a salesclerk and paid only little amount as five hundred pesos a month and I saved it for my tuition fee of my school. I do it hardly and spend it tightly just to be sure it is enough for the monthly bills in school and if possible I will eat snacks so that I can saved to my accounts. Doing it in four years but fortunately I reap the fruit of my labor I was succeed in my persevering to graduate and now having the job I have done after those pity years of doing job with very little amount of salary.
@Wizzywig (7847)
13 May 10
I'm glad your hard work has paid off and you are now in a job more suited to your interests and sbilities. It sounds as though you have learned how to manage on a small amount of money so I am sure you will be able to save for the things you'd like now
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
12 May 10
No, I always did baby sitting, until I could get a job. Again, it was poor pay, and long hours, but often the children were actually asleep, if it was an evening job, and then I just read books and watched television. In the summers it would be for whole families of bratty kids for $25 weekly, or so. That would be sometimes five children for forty four hours a week. After that I had a factory job, and I had a waitress job, and work study jobs in offices for the two years I went to college.
@Wizzywig (7847)
13 May 10
The ice cream man did ask me if I'd like to go on his rounds with him as a paid job when I was about 15, but my mum wouldn't let me. I remember being a bit miffed at the time but... obviously, she was right to do so. She could see beyond the unlimited free ice cream!
@oldchem1 (8132)
13 May 10
Mm I don't think I'd let a 15 year old 'go on his rounds' either!!!!!
• Pamplona, Spain
26 Apr 12
Hiya wizzywig, Never worked in Woolworths but my Mom used to have a cleaning Job there and I used to have to go and wait for her in the entrance inside of Woolworths. Oh yes the slab cake counter I found that my Mom would take the slice that was weighed out and surprisingly did not fuss about it weighing more than the normal so you would have had no problem with her as a Customer. Nor with me either if it weighed a bit less or a bit more I would not have been half so fussy I know I have seen them with their oh dear that´s too expensive for me what a pain. I really like Woolworths still as they are always full of surprises just when you think that you are always going to find the same things they have other things instead. Marks and Spencers is still my favourite though I used to have enough to buy me real Spanish Tomatoes for my Weekend Meals he he he and Oranges and Apples well the Apples were from the U.K.xxx
@oldchem1 (8132)
13 May 10
Ah, I am sad to say I didn't, when I was a teenager this was my aspiration for my Saturday job' but sadly, despite many attempts I never did reach those dizzy heights - or get the much desired 'Christmas work'; there either. I started my part time work when I was 13, it was in a small, old fashioned habedashery shop - selling ribbons, socks, wool, buttons, big knickers and elastic for people to put in their big knickers!! ; but it wasn't 'Woolies' I was green with envy for my friends who worked there and swapping between the sweets and the kae up - far better than big knickers and elastic!!!!!!
@Wizzywig (7847)
13 May 10
I gotta be honest, I had this feeling that you'd be a sure-fire bet to have been a Woolies Saturday girl. I was there for a couple of years until I went away to college. We had 2 mental institutions (or whatever the politically correct term is nowadays) in the town and the patients would often be brought into Woolies on a Saturday. Being in my little 'office', I often had them coming to talk to me. I remember one little man telling me it would be his birthday the next week. So, when he came in, I wished him a Happy Birthday. He was so delighted that he was in tears calling all his friends over to see "The girl who remembered it's my birthday". I even welled up for him. But... hey.... a shop that sells big knickers AND elastic for big knickers? I could really do with that now
1 person likes this
@oldchem1 (8132)
13 May 10
adly the big knicker shop has gone the same way as Woolies!!!, but I can still smell that shop ( and no id didn't smell of dirty big knickers!!), don't know what it was - not unpleasant, but just it's own distinct smell!!
@oldchem1 (8132)
13 May 10
for kae up read make up!!!
@hmm609 (36)
• China
13 May 10
I just graduated from college last year,now I am woking in a factory as a worker,the pay is poor,just 1500 Yuan(RMB),I dont satisfy with the pay,but because finding another job is very hard in this social situation,I have no choice but go on working in the factory.1500 Yuan is little,but enough to pay my daily expense,what make me feel sad is that I have no saving
@Wizzywig (7847)
13 May 10
Is that for a week or a months work? I checked on a currency calculator and saw that its about the same as my basic weekly wage (before deductions. I hope that you are able to find something which pays you what you are worth soon.