Stornoway’s Wee W faces closure 17/6/13 WeeW, which occupies one of the largest retail spaces in the heart of Stornoway town centre, is likely to close within weeks. The store will cease trading unless a last minute buyer for the business comes forward. The building on Cromwell Street is owned by Western Isles Council and leased to WeeW. The closure plans follows the tragic death of one of the main entrepreneurs behind the store. Ann MacCallum, an investor in the business, was found dead on a shingle beach at Swordale Bay, Point, Lewis, last month. The 51- year- old of Upper Bayble kept a horse on a croft nearby. He body was discovered by a dog walker who alerted police. A Wee W spokesman said: “It is with the utmost regret that we announce that the Wee W store in Stornoway town centre will be closing down in the next few weeks unless a buyer is found to take it forward. “Wee W was Ann McCallum’s vision - she birthed the store and she built it up during one of the worst trading periods in our history. “Ann was a constant inspiration with new ideas and displays, she was always exploring ways of bringing new products to Stornoway and was recently successful with the Wee Fudge Shop. “Ann’s tragic and untimely death has left an unfillable void for Wee W and as a result the family and existing shareholders do not have the heart or desire to try and fill Ann’s shoes. “We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported Wee W and who will be impacted by this announcement.” Ann McCallum was a former manageress of Woolworth’s very successful store in Cromwell Street, Stornoway. She was a shareholder in WeeW which opened in 2009 and took on a raft of former workers made redundant by the collapse of Woolworths the previous year. In 2010, Mrs McCallum became the first woman in the history of Harris Tweed to become manager of a industry textile mill. The talented fabric designer also made a white Harris Tweed dress and coat which she designed for Gaelic singer Alyth McCormack's wedding in 2009. Originally from near Biggar in the Scottish Borders, she also worked for Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Asda, C&A and Marks & Spencer.
The Wee W store, located in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, yesterday announced its intention to cease operating "in the next few weeks", subject to any potential acquisition of the company. The store, which is one of the largest retail buildings in , is located in a central part of the town. In a statement, the company cited the death of store co-founder Ann MacCallum as primary reason for the decision.

Ann MacCallum was found dead at age 51 on a   in May. A statement from Wee W described MacCallum as "a constant inspiration with new ideas and displays, ... always ...exploring ways of bringing new products to Stornoway". Shortly prior to her death, MacCallum had established a 'Wee Fudge Shop' inside Wee W, which the company deemed successful. The statement explained how her death had "left an unfillable void" in the company, saying that "the family and existing shareholders do not have the heart or desire to try and fill Ann’s shoes."

Wee W, whose building is currently leased from , was opened on Cromwell Street in Stornoway during 2009. The store reportedly acted as a replacement for the  building which closed there when the group entered administration in 2009. Numerous former employees of the store were employed by Wee W, whose title is a play on words of the large-size 'Big W' stores Woolworths Group had. Ann MacCallum was herself once manager of the former Woolworths building in Stornoway.

The statement did not comment on the fate of its employees or give details of how many redundancies the closure of the store would leave, although the group did say, "We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported Wee W and who will be impacted by this announcement."


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