U.S. merchandising company.
F.W. Woolworth (18521919) founded his first "five-and ten-cent" store in 1879. By 1904 there were 120 stores in 21 states. The company's New York headquarters, the Woolworth building (1913), was once the world's tallest skyscraper. By 1929 Woolworth had about 2,250 outlets. Its stores continued to proliferate in the U.S. and Britain, and it acquired other chains dealing in sportswear, shoes, and children's wear. From 1992 it began closing hundreds of stores and selling off subsidiaries; in 1998 it changed its name to Venator Group, Inc., and announced its intention to focus on sporting goods. In 2001 the company name changed to Foot Locker, Inc.