Stella Bennett

A conversation with Stella Bennett focussing on her 40 years working at Woolworths, including 14 years as manager of the Strand Street branch in Douglas.

Born 15th May 1940, Stella grew up in St John’s and then Douglas, leaving school at 16 to start work in Marks & Spencer’s and then Boots in Douglas. However, in 1960 she moved to Newry, Northern Ireland, where she began her long career at the department store, Woolworths.

After rising to become supervisor and then manager at Newry, she moved to the Strand Street branch in 1974, where she remained for the next 14 years, before finishing her working life in the UK in 2000.

Stella discusses her Woolworths years in detail, including wages, uniform, stock, trends, the lay-out of the store, Christmas and visitor season trade, adverts, the unusual position of being a female manager, changes over the years, and more.

Interviews

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• Stella Bennett interviewed by Elizabeth Ardern-Corris (19 Apr 2012)