Shopping

These three Greater Manchester Wilko stores are reopening as Poundlands this weekend

A new chapter begins.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 29th September 2023

The first 10 Wilko stores to start new lives as Poundlands are reopening this weekend, and three of them are in Greater Manchester.

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 back on 11 September that all of the retailer’s outlets across the UK would be forced to close, leaving around 12,500 jobs at risk, a glimmer of hope was offered.

And that glimmer of hope was that several dozen stores had been saved.

Only, they wouldn’t be remaining under the Wilko name, as they’d be reopening as another popular bargain retailer instead, and that’s because Pepco Group – the company which owns Poundland in the UK – managed to strike a deal with Wilko administrators PwC to take control of up to 71 store leases.

With lease assignments expected to be completed in the coming weeks, according to Pepco, this meant that the some 71 stores would join Poundland’s existing 800-plus UK outlets before 2023 is out.

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Six Greater Manchester Wilko stores are set to reopen as Poundlands / Credit: Poundland | Wilko

Pepco Group published the full list of stores set for conversion earlier this month, and also confirmed it would be offering employment some of Wilko’s former employees – with it being good news for six Greater Manchester sites.

Altrincham, Bolton, Eccles, Sale, Leigh, and Stockport were confirmed to be the region’s towns set to get themselves a new Poundland, and Poundland added that it intends to convert the stores over to its brand “as soon as is practical”.

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It turns out that window of practicality has arrived this weekend for three of those confirmed sites.

Among the 10 former Wilko branches across the UK that are set to start a new chapter and begin lives as Poundlands this weekend are sites at The Peel Centre in Stockport, The Mall in Eccles, and on Lord Street in Leigh.

Poundland is convert the stores over to its brand “as soon as is practical” / Credit: Poundland

It’s expected that dates for the new round of Poundland conversions will be announced in due course, as will news from PwC about the other deals it has struck for the Wilko name to live on.

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You may remember that administrators had previously struck a deal for fellow discount chain B&M to buy 51 other Wilko stores, while another high street chain, The Range, had also confirmed a last-minute deal to buy Wilko’s brand last month.

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The Range has bought Wilko’s website and intellectual property, so shoppers can expect to see Wilko own-brand items appear in The Range stores nationwide very soon.

Featured Image – Poundland

Shopping

Pets at Home to pause the sales of rabbits at all UK stores over Easter to stop ‘impulsive’ buying

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Pets at Home has announced that it will be pausing the sale and adoption of rabbits at all its UK stores over Easter.

The pet supplies retailer has more than 460 stores nationwide, selling everything from pet food and healthcare, to accessories, veterinary services, and in some cases, even the animals themselves… but once this upcoming bank holiday weekend rolls around, some of the retailer’s animals won’t be available to take home.

Over the extended weekend, from this Friday 18 through to Monday 21 April, Pets at Home’s rabbits will be going on their annual ‘Easter break’.

That’s because action is being taken by the company to help prevent impulse purchases and adoptions driven by the celebrations at this time of year.

It’s said to be part of the brand’s commitment to ‘encouraging responsible pet ownership’.

Pets at Home is pausing the sales of rabbits at all its UK stores over Easter / Credit: Supplied

Giving a little more insight into the decision, a spokesperson for Pets at Home explained: “Every year, we make the decision to temporarily halt rabbit sales over the Easter weekend, which is a deliberate action to discourage any impulsive choices about owning a rabbit, given their close association with this time of year.

“Rabbits make wonderful pets, however, they are not the ‘easy’ pet that they can often be thought of as.

“They have complex needs, including specialised dietary requirements and environments, and we always want to educate and encourage careful reflection on how those needs will be met before homing.”

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Rabbits are expected to be available to buy and adopt at Pets at Home, once again, after the bank holiday weekend is over from Tuesday 22 April.

Featured Image – Aswathy N (via Unsplash)

Shopping

You can win a ‘shopping trip of a lifetime’ with a £3,000 budget at Cheshire Oaks

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Cheshire Oaks shopping

Fancy winning a shopping trip with a £3,000 budget this summer?

In case you weren’t aware, the UK’s largest designer outlet, Cheshire Oaks, is turning 30 years old this year, and in a bid to properly mark the major milestone, has now launched an exciting search for super fans to celebrate their individual style stories and experiences from throughout the past three decades.

Since originally opening back in 1995, the iconic shopping destination has gone from strength to strength over time, having been extended on a number occasions to now boast more than 400,000 sq ft of retail space.

With over 4,000 employees and more than 21 million items sold annually across 160 stores and 19 food outlets, it’s safe to say Cheshire Oaks stands as the go-to destination in North West.

63% of Brits choose to do shop in-person over online purchases, according to a new national style report recently commissioned by Cheshire Oaks.

You can win a ‘shopping trip of a lifetime’ with a £3,000 budget at Cheshire Oaks / Credit: Cheshire Oaks

So who wouldn’t want an all-expenses-paid shopping trip here then? Thankfully, ahead of its 30th anniversary, Cheshire Oaks has launched a UK-wide birthday competition and you can now get your entries in by simply heading to the outlet mall’s website here and sharing your favourite shopping memories from over the years.

You’ll also need to include experiences of how you’ve shopped with the brand through the years, and share why it’s such as special shopping destination to you.

There’s a number of fantastic prizes available, but of course, the star of the show has to be the fully-paid shopping trip for the winner and two other family members worth £3,000 – with Cheshire Oaks looking to reward fans spanning across three generations of the same family, in-keeping with the brand’s 30 year milestone.

If you aren’t quite lucky enough to bag the top prize, entering means you may be in with a chance of winning a shopping trip led by a professional stylist instead, or perhaps a complimentary family fashion photoshoot to help capture the style stories of three generations.

“As our celebrations continue to mark the brand’s 30th anniversary, we’re excited to hear about the individual style stories from three generations of our customers,” explained Kenny Murray, who is the General Manager at Cheshire Oaks.

“The last three decades has seen us evolve, grow and innovate with the times and we’re delighted to be able to share in the celebrations with our loyal customer base and give something back to those most deserving.”

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Keen to enter then? You have until the end of this week to get your entries in, as the competition closes this Sunday (20 April).

The winners will be chosen and contacted on Monday 21 April, so keep your eyes peeled.

Featured Image – Cheshire Oaks

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