I doubt this one issue of truckling to fringe groups shouting "BOYCOTT!" made the difference between success and failure for Woolworth's. Profit margins in that sort of retail niche are generally pretty narrow, and it doesn't take much to tip a company over the edge from profitable to unprofitable. Heck, the original F. W. Wooolworth's chain here in the US, from which the British Woolworth's chain separated in 1982, decided more than 10 years ago to focus on sporting goods, (mostly because it was losing money hand-over-fist as a general retailer,) and changed its name to Foot Locker, Inc.

All that having been said, though, it is fair to note that grocery and general retail operations are extremely vulnerable to threats of boycott precisely because of their narrow profit margins.

For sure it made little difference, but if you get yourself a reputation for not selling the things people want to buy, then folk aren't going to go through your doors to buy stuff.

Google ads humour - the first ad is for a Woolworths credit card....mmm, no...