I know what you mean Choc
Chick, when I am in London there are shops I hardly ever see
and yet are common on most of the 'cloned' UK high streets. The
only Woolies I know in London is in the shopping centre at the Elephant
& Castle; it's quite out of the way.
I work close by to Oxford Street and there is not one Woolworths. Its
quite frustrating as I can then only get to one at the weekends and
sometimes the urge has passed

Which part are you in Cherry Ripe? I think the Tottenham Court Road end
of Oxford Street could do with a vast improvement, some of the shops
are a waste of space.