▁W ool co ▁from ▁failure , ▁so ▁W ool worth ▁combined ▁the ▁disc ount ▁store ▁operating ▁unit ▁with ▁its ▁variety ▁stores ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁close ▁stores ▁in ▁un prof itable ▁mark ets ▁including ▁Chicago . ▁ ▁Cl os ure ▁W ool co ▁ceased ▁operations ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁with ▁all ▁ 3 3 6 ▁stores ▁closing . ▁W ool co ' s ▁invent ory ▁was ▁val ued ▁at ▁approximately ▁$ 1 ▁billion , ▁making ▁W ool co ' s ▁liquid ation ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁United ▁States ▁history ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁However , ▁the ▁Canadian ▁division ▁of ▁approximately ▁ 1 2 0 ▁stores ▁remained ▁open . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁the ▁British ▁W ool co ▁stores ▁were ▁converted ▁into ▁regular ▁W ool worth ▁stores ▁and ▁were ▁sp un ▁off ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁W ool worth s ▁chain ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁Those ▁larger ▁stores ▁were ▁subsequently ▁sold ▁by ▁King fish er ▁pl c ▁to ▁Gate way ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁and ▁then ▁Gate way ▁sold ▁the ▁stores ▁again , ▁this ▁time ▁to ▁As da ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁ 2 6 ▁W ool worth ▁stores ▁in ▁Canada ▁were ▁converted ▁to ▁W ool co ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁larger ▁size . ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁rep ay ▁the ▁$ 1 . 7 ▁billion ▁deb t ▁in cur red