Shopping

Wilko confirms full list of 52 stores to close next week – including three in Greater Manchester

It's the end of the road for dozens of branches across the UK.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 7th September 2023

The full list of 52 Wilko stores set to close next week has been confirmed by administrators after failing to secure a rescue deal.

After PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was appointed to oversee the insolvency of the beloved British bargain retailer earlier last month month, it was confirmed on Tuesday this week that rival retailer B&M had bought 51 Wilko stores in a deal said to be worth up to £13 million, while those at the administration company continued on in talks with several other parties who are interested in buying the remaining parts of the business.

But sadly, in the meantime while those talks are ongoing, it’s the end of the road for dozens of Wilko stores right across the UK – including several major outlets in Greater Manchester.

A total of 52 Wilko branches nationwide will close their doors for good next week.

The staff members working at the affected stores will unfortunately be made redundant, and on top of that, administrators have even added that it’s possible “further store closures may regrettably be necessary”, all depending on how talks with remaining suitors pan out.

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Stores will close over two days next week on Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 September, with the closing Greater Manchester locations confirmed to be Harpurhey, Eccles, and Stockport.

The Wilko stores closing on Tuesday 12 September:

  • 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

“In the absence of viable offers for the whole business, very sadly, store closures and redundancies of team members from those stores are now necessary,” explained Edward Williams, who is the Joint Administrator at PwC.

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“The loss of these stores will be felt not only by the team members, who served them with such dedication, but also the communities which they have been a part of.”

Wilko has confirmed the full list of 52 stores to close next week / Credit: Wilko

The Wilko stores closing on Thursday 14 September:

  • 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

As a last-minute buyer could not be found, it’s expected that all of Wilko’s 400 units nationwide will eventually be taken over by other outlets.

Roughly 12,500 jobs within the business are said on the line.

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B&M has bought 51 Wilko stores in a deal worth up to £13 million / Credit: Greg Macvean (via B&M) | Manchester Arndale

While various other bargain retail brands such as Poundland, Home Bargains, and The Range are also looking to take over some of the other spaces that Wilko vacates, B&M’s £13 million deal earlier this week means it is set to become the first company to pick up the pieces and aid their own expansion around the UK.

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Meanwhile, companies like Aldi are taking a different approach, and telling those Wilko staff facing the chop to get in touch about potential new employment.

Featured Image – Wilko

Shopping

UK supermarkets urge public to donate as foodbanks brace for a ‘tough Christmas’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

UK supermarkets are calling on the public for donations as foodbanks brace for a “tough Christmas”.

As the nights begin to draw in, the temperatures drop by the day, and the festive season nears closer, some shocking new research by Neighbourly shows that foodbanks are preparing for a tough Christmas – with 80% of foodbanks reporting an increase in demand, particularly from families with children, as well as the elderly.

Because of this, many foodbanks fear they will not have enough supplies to support their communities throughout the festive season.

On top of this, almost a third of foodbanks have reported difficulties in recruiting volunteers too.

With only a few weeks to go until Christmas is here, Aldi is among the UK supermarkets calling on its shoppers to help make a difference, by releasing a list of the most in-demand items for donation – with tinned food, festive treats, and breakfast cereals being near the top of the list.

UK supermarkets are urging the public to donate as foodbanks brace for a ‘tough Christmas’ / Credit: Aldi UK

Other items on the list include tea and coffee, juices and soft drinks, rice and pasta, cooking sauces, condiments, UHT milk and more, as well as pet food and non food-related items like toiletries, cleaning products, and children’s toys.

Shoppers can donate items via the community donation points placed near exit points of Aldi stores nationwide, before they will then be distributed to good causes.

The supermarket is pledging to donate more than a million meals to local charities, community groups, and foodbanks across the UK.

“Christmas is always an extremely busy period for foodbanks and other charitable organisations helping those most in need,” explained Luke Emery, who is the National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK.

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“We know many of our customers like to support local causes by using our in-store donation points, so we hope this list of items will help shoppers to pick the items that are most needed over the festive period.”

Featured Image – Aldi UK

Shopping

The Pop Up Club – pop-up shop for independent retailers to return to Manchester this weekend

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

The Pop Up Club is coming back to Manchester city centre this weekend, offering a prime retail space to independent businesses and small creators.

The initiative aims to transform unused public spaces and invite designers, makers and artists along to add cultural and commercial value to the local area.

Through providing this platform for these businesses, The Pop Up Club has managed to help its traders earn £1.5 million across all their previous events which run up and down the UK.

The brilliant pop-up retail space was previously on King Street in Manchester, but this time The Pop Up Club is moving into the Manchester Arndale.

Shoppers will be able to choose from the curated traders on offer, such as beautifully handpainted watercolour illustrations from By Tilly, celestial and nature inspired jewellery by Sian Mellor designs and beaded bracelets from That Wild Feeling.

It’s also helping to promote local talent as it shares the work of Manchester based unique printed homewares from Lydia Meiying.

Moonshine Prints, a trader who creates a variety of fascinating and eclectic wall art for everyone to buy and display in their homes, will also be at The Pop Up Club when it returns to Manchester.

The Pop Up Club will offer a chance to browse local traders who normally wouldn’t have a platform as big as this, while also supporting art and culture direct from the north.

Tillie Peel, creator and founder of The Pop Up Club.
Inside the incredible retail space providing opportunities for small businesses.
Peel, admiring works by small creators which are part of her small business initiative.
Credit: Publicity Pictures

The businesses The Pop Up Club uplifts and works with may be small but the amount of traders definitely isn’t – they’ve shone a spotlight on more than 500 independent retailers since setting up the social enterprise.

It’s also nice to hear that creatives who have worked with them in the past would more than likely consider working with The Pop Up Club again as according to the statistic on their website, ‘100% of traders said they would return’.

The venture was founded by Tillie Peel, who says: “Manchester has always welcomed us with open arms, and the friendly Northern spirit was calling us back once again.

“Utilising an empty space at the Manchester Arndale is a dream come true for us, as it puts us at the heart of shopping in the city and with events such as the Christmas Markets returning, the footfall of the city centre will be highly welcomed by us and all our traders in our Manchester store.

“With over 5 million small businesses in the UK*, there are so many that deserve attention and shopping small can bring huge benefits to the economy as well as supporting local income. This Christmas is the perfect time to shop from small businesses and independent traders, where a purchase can make a real difference to that brand.

“Our network of independent businesses have found being in our stores offers real value, as well as allowing them to speak to customers, see the reactions in real time to their items and to get a taste of what the high street has to offer.”

Shoppers who just can’t wait to get on down to The Pop Up Club can browse the shop in person on 16 November at Manchester Arndale.

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Featured Image: Publicity Picture

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