▁store ▁market ▁without ▁dil uting ▁its ▁dominant ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁variety ▁store ▁business . ▁The ▁first ▁W ool co ▁store ▁was ▁located ▁in ▁Columb us , ▁Ohio . ▁By ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 8 ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁nine ▁in ▁Canada . ▁Pl ans ▁were ▁for ▁ 3 0 ▁stores ▁to ▁be ▁added ▁per ▁year . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁trem end ous ▁growth ▁as ▁over ▁ 3 0 0 ▁W ool co ▁stores ▁opened ▁up ▁across ▁North ▁America ▁by ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Some ▁stores ▁were ▁converted ▁from ▁regular ▁W ool worth ▁stores , ▁including ▁the ▁location ▁at ▁West land ▁Mall ▁in ▁West ▁Bur ling ton , ▁Iowa . ▁ ▁The ▁company ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁both ▁W ool co ▁and ▁a ▁more ▁down scale ▁mer ch and ising ▁unit ▁called ▁W orth ▁Mart ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s . ▁W ool co ▁was ▁the ▁event ual ▁winner ▁with ▁customers , ▁and ▁the ▁W orth ▁Mart ▁stores ▁were ▁fol ded ▁into ▁W ool co ' s ▁store ▁base ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁out set , ▁W ool co ▁stores ▁were ▁considered ▁by ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁be ▁" prom ot ional ▁department ▁stores ," ▁with ▁expanded ▁product ▁lines ▁and ▁other ▁amen ities ▁not ▁typically ▁found ▁at ▁names ake ▁W ool worth ▁stores . ▁ ▁Many ▁locations ▁contained ▁Red ▁Gr ille ▁restaur ants , ▁a ▁c af eter ia - style ▁out