What Every Woman Wants (retail chain)

What Every Woman Wants

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail
Founded	1971 in Glasgow, Scotland
Founder	Vera and Gerald Weisfeld
Defunct	2003
Fate	Closed down after administration
Headquarters	Glasgow , Scotland, United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom
Products	Discount retail goods

What Every Woman Wants (initially known as WEWW and later rebranded as What Everyone Wants) was a British discount retail chain established in 1971 by Vera and Gerald Weisfeld in Glasgow. By 1990, the company had expanded across the UK and was sold by the Weisfelds to Amber Day for £50 million. Amber Day itself was acquired in 1997 by Brown & Jackson.

History

At its peak, the chain operated more than 130 outlets throughout Britain, with stores located in towns such as Blackburn, Leyland, Ormskirk, Hartlepool, and Swansea. Although there were plans to open branches in Accrington under the names What Everyone Wants and Brunswick Shoes, these never came to fruition. The brand’s television advertisements featured a distinctive segment from Status Quo’s 1979 hit "Whatever You Want".

Following the 1990 sale to Amber Day, led by Philip Green, the Weisfelds introduced a similar discount department store named Weisfelds in Glasgow in 1994, situated in the former premises of Goldbergs. Despite offering a product range akin to their previous venture, Weisfelds ceased operations in 1999 due to poor performance; the location was subsequently taken over by Selfridges.

In August 2002, What Everyone Wants was acquired by Tradegro but entered administration just one month later. The business underwent several ownership transitions before Brown & Jackson divested it to Tradegro. Under CEO Daan Venter’s leadership, the brand was renamed Everyone Wants and adopted the tagline 'Value, Style and Quality'. Unable to find a sustainable purchaser, all stores were shuttered by March 2003.

The flagship outlet on Argyle Street, Glasgow was among the earliest to close, while one of the final remaining stores operated in Irvine, North Ayrshire.