Wilko, with its 400 branches and c.12,000 employees entered administration today as talks with assorted prospective lenders and buyers failed to result in a timely deal. Administrators from PwC have said that all stores will continue to be traded, presumably until all stock is cleared, and has also that there will be no immediate redundancies. It also said that there are still parties interested in parts of the business.
Prior to the administration Wilko, which was founded in the 1930s, had said that it was in talks with both Alteri and Gordon Brothers. During a visit to a Wilko store yesterday in Devon, staff were visibly shaken, many of the shelves in the large premises were empty and shoppers were thin on the ground. The branch in question had previously been occupied by Woolworths and the shopping precinct had also boasted a large two-floor BHS store which is now home to an armed forces charity, as well as a large combined Topshop/Topman shop which is now a cafe.
Out-of-town discount chain stores proliferate, with the likes of B&M and Home Bargains clearly capturing the lion’s share of Wilko’s target consumer spend on household products, toiletries, etc.
Sad times these.
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