WILKO is pulling down the shutters on 38 more stores within hours as it prepares to close all of its 400 stores for good.
The high street chain, which entered administration last month, started its first phase of closures by shutting 52 shops last week.
1
Shops in Leeds, Bristol, Cornwall and Manchester have already closed their doors.
Today, it will shut a further 38 shops, with more closures to follow on Tuesday and Thursday.
Shoppers have taken to social media to share their sadness over losing their local Wilko store.
One Facebook user said: “Awwwwww! Sorry for the loss really sorry, me going to miss it. God bless the staff and good luck guys!”
And a third added: “Such a shame.”
While another added: “There are no words that describe how I’m feeling today. Today marks the end of an era.”
All of Wilko’s 400 shops will close by early October, according to administrators from PwC.
More than 10,000 further Wilko workers are set to lose their jobs by next month as a result.
But administrators confirmed last week that rival discount chain The Range has snapped up Wilko’s brand, website and intellectual property.
It means the brand’s name will not disappear from high streets for good as a result of the deal, with The Range confirming that it will sell Wilko products “in-store”.
The Range, which runs 210 stores across the UK, has said it will also offer click and collect on products from Wilko.com.
Plus, major Wilko rival B&M agreed to snap up up to 51 stores in a £13million deal.
And Poundland has agreed to buy up to 71 shops, including sites in Cambridge, Leeds and Stafford.
PwC said it expects Wilko’s online operations to restart under the new ownership once the closure of the remaining stores is completed.
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will also see 36 workers from Wilko’s digital team transfer over to the Range.
Wilko was originally founded by James Kemsey Wilkinson in Leicester in 1930.
The family-owned business employed 12,500 staff and ran 400 shops before it hired administrators early last month after it came under pressure from weak consumer spending and debts to suppliers.
Below is the full list of Wilko stores that will close today (Sunday, September 17):
- Accrington
- Ashington
- Blackwood
- Bognor Regis
- Bradford
- Bury St Edmunds
- Coalville
- Crawley
- Droylsden
- Ellesmere Port
- Falkirk
- Ferndown
- Hanley
- Humberstone
- Huyton
- Kensington High Street
- Kings Heath
- Lakeside
- Leigh
- Letchworth
- Maidenhead
- Market Harborough
- Melton Mowbray
- Newport
- Orpington
- Pontefract
- Pontypool
- Redruth
- Rugeley
- Shirley
- Southport
- Sovereign Harbour
- Torquay
- Wimbledon
- Wombwell
- Woodhouse Lane – Leeds
- Worcester
- Workington
These stores will then close on Tuesday, September 19:
- Aberdare
- Alfreton
- Ashby
- Barnstaple
- Belper
- Beverley
- BlackheathBrigg
- Byker, Chepstow
- Clifton Nottingham
- Colindale
- Devizes
- Didcot
- Earlestown
- East Ham
- Great Bridge
- Greenbridge
- Grimsby
- Hessle Road – Hull
- Jarrow
- Kimberley
- Leighton Buzzard
- Long Eaton
- Maesteg
- Matlock
- Middleton
- Newton Abbot
- Redcar
- Ripley
- Seaham
- Sherwood
- Stamford
- Stevenage
- Swanley
- Tamworth
- Wrexham
- Wythenshawe
And then these shops will shut their doors on Thursday, September 21:
- Allestree
- Andover
- Bedford
- Beeston
- Bicester
- Bloxwich
- Bolton
- Bordon
- Bransholme
- Bridgend, Bury
- Carlton
- Clacton on Sea
- Cramlington
- Crewe
- Cwmbran
- Cyfarthfa
- Denton
- Driffield
- Droitwich
- Edmonton Green
- Farnborough
- Fort Kinnaird
- Fulham
- Gateshead
- Gorleston
- Grays
- Greenock
- Havant
- Hereford
- Hillsborough
- Holyhead
- Newton Aycliffe
- Northampton
- Orton
- Parc Trostre Llanelli
- Penge
- Peterlee
- Pwllheli
- Shrewsbury
- Slough
- Swindon
- Tamworth Retail Park
- Taunton
- Walton on Thames
- Wheatley Retail Park
- Wigan
- Wolverhampton
In an emotional open letter to all staff and heartbroken shoppers chief executive officer, Mark Jackson, thanked them for their support over the 90-year stint on the British high street.
Mr Jackson, said that the company had “left no stone unturned” in a bid to save the chain.
Meanwhile, retail experts have revealed what went wrong with Wilko ahead of the store closures this week.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
