'Woolies', an iconic household name we've all grown up with; part and parcel of high streets the length and breadth of the land, including Mansfield and Sutton.

The whys and wherefores of the collapse of this once-great institution are matters for others to comment upon. Suffice to say it all adds up to a grim Christmas and New Year in prospect for the company's many employees.

But this debacle is not only about people. The last thing Mansfield town centre needs right now is another empty shop - especially one of the size and prominence of Woolworths - smack in the middle of West Gate.

The impact on Sutton's Idlewells precinct and the surrounding retailers of the loss of its Woolworths could be just as serious.

Even at this late, critical stage the fervent hope has to be that something can be salvaged from the wreckage of what was once the 'wonder of Woolworths.'

Both towns desperately need these retail outlets and the precious jobs that go with them.