Beloved British bargain retailer B&M is set to sweep up 51 of the soon-to-be-vacated Wilko shops around the UK after the business went into administration earlier this month.
Equally popular around the country, 400 Wilkos stores are shutting as we speak after PwC were appointed as administrators and the company began its insolvency process on 10 August and now, in a late effort to snap up locations at a lower price, B&M have reportedly scored a £13 million deal.
Not unlike Wilkos, B&M is loved by shoppers not only for its affordable prices but for its wild range of items — where else can you buy wallpaper, stationery, KitKats, pick-and-mix, a fluffy rug and a nice new kettle all under one roof?
While various other brands such as Poundland, Home Bargains and The Range are also looking to take over some of the other spaces, B&M is set to become the first to pick up the pieces and aid their own expansion around the UK.
Credit: B&M/Greg MacveanCredit: Manchester Arndale
As a last-minute buyer could not be found, all of Wilko’s 400 units will eventually be taken over by other outlets and with roughly 12,500 jobs on the line, employees are now desperately waiting to see if they will be thrown a lifeline.
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The deal itself was made by Canadian entrepreneur Doug Putman, the man responsible for rescuing HMV and owner of Toys R Us back in his home country, who hopes to save as many as 300 Wilko stores in the coming weeks.
However, the long-term takeover is facing the obstacle of numerous Wilko suppliers like Unilever and Procter & Gamble wanting their debts repaid before continuing to supply products.
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Other suppliers have already cancelled shipments since the chain went into administration and aren’t expected to resume for a number of weeks and with jobs already being cut at the company’s headquarters and warehouses this week, many people have already parted ways with Wilko.
All that being said, the brand established all the way back in 1930 raked in an annual turnover of approximately £1.2bn and it’s safe to those vying for the remaining stores will be plugging a significant and profitable hole in the UK shopping scene.
As a fellow affordable retailer that sells everything from groceries to hardware, furniture, electronics and more, it feels fitting for B&Ms (Billington & Mayman) to take up so many Wilkos sites. The full list of locations is yet to be revealed and it remains to be seen what other brands will pop in their place too.
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Meanwhile, companies like Aldi are telling those facing the chop to get in touch with them about potential new employment.
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Danny Jones -
5th September 2023 
