Six former Wilko stores in Greater Manchester are set to begin new lives as Poundlands after owner strikes deal to buy 71 outlets nationwide.
We all know by now that it’s been a turbulent couple of weeks for Wilko after it entered administration earlier last month, but after it was sadly announced on Monday (11 September) that all of the retailer’s outlets across the UK would be forced to close, leaving around 12,500 jobs at risk, it was confirmed yesterday that several dozen had been saved.
Only they won’t be staying as Wilkos, they’ll be reopening as another popular bargain retailer instead.
That’s because Pepco Group, the company which owns Poundland in the UK, has struck a deal with Wilko administrators PwC to take control of up to 71 store leases.
Six Greater Manchester Wilko stores are set to reopen as Poundlands / Credit: Poundland | Wilko
Lease assignments are expected to be completed in early autumn, according to Pepco, which means the some 71 stores will join Poundland’s existing 800-plus UK outlets before 2023 is out – with Poundland saying it intends to convert the stores over to its brand “as soon as is practical”.
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Pepco Group has also confirmed it will be offering employment some of Wilko’s former employees at the sites it’s taking control of.
The full list of 71 current Wilko stores that will begin new lives as Poundlands has been revealed by Pepco Group, and it’s good news for six Greater Manchester sites, as Altrincham, Bolton, and Eccles are among the towns set to get themselves a new Poundland.
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Sale, Leigh, and Stockport are the region’s other three Wilko sites that have been acquired.
Poundland intends to convert the stores over to its brand “as soon as is practical” / Credit: Poundland
Giving a little more insight into the takeover deal, Barry Williams – who is the Managing Director of Poundland – said shoppers can expect to see changes happen “in the coming weeks”.
He continued: “We will work quickly with landlords so we can open these stores as Poundlands, with the new ranges that have been pivotal to our recent development, and once that process is complete, we will ensure a significant number of the Wilko colleagues will join our Poundland team.
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“We know how valued Wilko colleagues have been in scores of communities across the UK, and we look forward to offering them opportunities to join our family [as] we recognise the last few weeks have been difficult for them so we will move quickly to secure new consents from landlords so we can offer them the certainty they deserve.”
Mr Williams said the addition of the 71 Wilko stores to Poundland’s portfolio will “accelerate our existing transformation programme” and “offer amazing value for consumers” on high streets, shopping centres, and retail parks nationwide.
Featured Image – Poundland
Shopping
Popular night-time indie shopping market returns to Manchester tomorrow
Emily Sergeant
A unique indie shopping market is returning to Manchester, and you’ll be able to shop from 50 local small businesses all under one roof.
In case you hadn’t heard, the hugely-popular Night Market UK is back by popular demand, and it will be stopping off in our city centre for one night only tomorrow as part of the current leg of its tour across the country.
Returning to Manchester, but this time at a new location down at Fairfield Social Club in the Green Quarter, the unique night-time shopping experience will be showcasing more than 50 local small businesses – with everything from bespoke fashion items and beautifully-crafted homeware, to candles, artwork, silverware, and more on offer.
Brutal Fashion, Lost in Music, Urban Botany, and Dapper Alice are just a handful of the indie traders you’ll be able to shop from.
With event organisers promising there’ll be “a stall for everyone” to browse on the night, some of the other traders in attendance, include artisan producers, artists and bakers, as well as Fairfield Social Club’s resident street food purveyors Isit Kitchen, and pizza pros Killa Carbs.
DJ Clara B will also be taking over the club’s sound system too, and will be blasting tunes to set the scene all night long.
From bespoke fashion items and silverware courtesy of Brutal Fashion, to dazzling musical art prints from Lost in Music, and sculptural candles from Urban Botany to beautifully crafted homeware by Dapper Alice, there will be a stall for everyone on the night.
A popular night-time indie shopping market is returning to Manchester tomorrow / Credit: The Night Market UK | Kunal Mahesh Tewari (via The Night Market UK on Facebook)
The Night Market UK will open at Fairfield Social Club from 6pm tomorrow (Friday 26 July), and will run right through until 11pm.
Tickets are now on sale from just £4 each, and can be purchased in hourly entry timeslots – which organisers say “keeps the atmosphere just right” and ensures there’s enough space for everyone to be able to stay as little or as long as they’d like.
You can buy on the door or grab your tickets in advance here.
Featured Image – Supplied
Shopping
Stockport’s popular pre-worn school uniform shop is reopening for the summer
Emily Sergeant
A popular pre-worn school uniform shop is reopening in Stockport for the summer, and you can grab items for less than £1.
As the rising cost of living crisis sadly still continues to make its impact felt nationwide, Stockport‘s popular pre-worn uniform shop will throw open its doors following huge success last year and an “overwhelming demand from cash-strapped families“.
It’s popping up inside the town’s Merseyway Shopping Centre for the summer holidays to provide locals with massive savings on next year’s school clothes.
Shoppers can get their hands on pre-worn uniform pieces from as little as 50p each.
Stockport’s popular pre-worn school uniform shop is reopening for the summer / Credit: Matthew Nichol Photography (via supplied)
The shopping centre says The Pop-Up Uniform Shop is all about providing Stopfordians with “good quality, secondhand school uniform” – with items from schools all across the Stockport borough set to be available when it opens next month.
The pop-up shop will be selling uniform items from all schools across the Stockport borough when it opens next month.
Expected to be a widely-popular addition the Greater Manchester town once again once it returns from 10-17 August, all funds raised from the shop will be going back into the community – with donations set to be made to local food bank, Chelwood Food Bank Plus, as well as one of the UK’s leading arts and mental health organisations, Arc Centre Stockport.
Families will be able to grab items from as little as 50p / Credit: Merseyway (via Facebook)
Ahead of the shop’s opening next month, donations are currently being accepted
Uniform donations can be branded or unbranded but must be “clean and wearable”, and some of the items being accepted include sweatshirts, cardigans, blazers, skirts, pinafores, trousers, shorts, polo shirts, shirts, shoes, plimsolls, PE kits, and school bags.
Donations will be accepted until Monday 5 August, and can be dropped off at the dedicated collection bin in the undercover mall outside Specsavers.
“Many families in our community face financial challenges, making it difficult to provide their children with necessary school uniform items,” explained Victoria Nichol, who is the Centre Manager at Merseyway Shopping Centre, ahead of the shop’s opening.
“The Pop-Up Uniform Shop aims to alleviate this burden by offering affordable uniform options for those in need while offering a sustainable alternative to buying new.”