The GMB union has received information from administrators PwC that all 400 branches of the collapsed retailer Wilko are set to close by early October, potentially resulting in the loss of all 12,500 jobs within the chain. This news follows the collapse of a rescue deal involving the owner of HMV, as reported earlier by Sky News. PwC has chosen not to comment on the matter.
Wilko, which had been owned by the Wilkinson family for decades, entered administration last month, marking a significant blow to the discount homeware brand. Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, expressed her sorrow, referring to this development as the “death knell” for Wilko. She emphasized that Wilko’s dedicated staff, who had maintained the brand’s family ethos, now face an uncertain future. Houghton noted that Wilko should have thrived in a strong bargain retail sector but was mismanaged by its owners, leading to its downfall. She called for accountability on the part of the owners.
Despite these challenges, B&M European Value Retail has agreed to purchase 51 Wilko stores, with plans to rebrand them. The fate of Wilko staff at these branches remains uncertain. PwC had previously announced approximately 1,600 redundancies and the closure of 52 stores after failing to find a buyer for those outlets.
The following Wilko stores are set to close on Tuesday, September 12:
- Acton
- Aldershot
- Barking
- Bishop Auckland
- Bletchley FF
- Brownhills
- Camberley
- Cardiff Bay Retail Park
- Falmouth
- Harpurhey
- Irvine
- Liverpool Edge Lane
- Llandudno
- Lowestoft
- Morley
- Nelson
- Port Talbot
- Putney
- Stafford
- Tunbridge Wells
- Wakefield
- Weston-super-Mare
- Westwood Cross
- Winsford
The following Wilko stores will close on Thursday, September 14:
- Ashford
- Avonmeads
- Banbury
- Barrow in Furness
- Basildon
- Belle Vale
- Burnley (Relocation)
- Clydebank
- Cortonwood
- Dagenham
- Dewsbury
- Eccles
- Folkestone
- Great Yarmouth
- Hammersmith
- Huddersfield
- Morriston
- New Malden
- North Shields
- Queen Street Cardiff
- Rhyl
- Southampton-West Quay
- St Austell
- Stockport
- Truro
- Uttoxeter
- Walsall
- Woking
If you would like your interests… published, submit via https://dorseteye.com/submit-a-report/
Join us in helping to bring reality and decency back by SUBSCRIBING to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ1Ll1ylCg8U19AhNl-NoTg and SUPPORTING US where you can: Award Winning Independent Citizen Media Needs Your Help. PLEASE SUPPORT US FOR JUST £2 A MONTH https://dorseteye.com/donate/
