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.
One of Manchester’s biggest vintage shops to close after a decade
Daisy Jackson
One of the biggest and best vintage shops in Manchester has announced its imminent closure.
Thrift Shop, which is part of the legendary Cow Vintage family, has said that the landlord of its store has ‘chosen not to renew our lease’.
The beloved vintage shop has been in its spot just off Piccadilly Gardens for a decade, with colourful rails stuffed with pre-loved denim, coats, dresses, accessories, and more.
Ahead of its closure this week, Thrift Shop has announced details of a major closing down sale, aiming to get rid of all its stock.
Initially touted as two for £10 on all thrift items, they’ve now slashed prices even further and are offering three items for £10.
That does exclude their ‘premium’ items, where you can snap up big labels like Carhartt and Levi’s.
Sharing the sad news of its closure online, Thrift Shop Manchester wrote: “We are gutted to announce the closure of beloved Manchester store.
Thrift Shop Manchester is throwing a huge closing down sale
“Last week we found out our landlord chose not to renew our lease after over ten years in this unit.
“To bid our farewell, we’re doing a MASSIVE closing down sale to get rid of all stock !!!! All Thrift items will be 2 for £10 until our last trading day on 30th May!!
“We’ve absolutely loved serving you for all these years, so long, farewell and, as always, get thrifty.”
In the comments, fellow independent retailer Thunder Egg – which just had to move out of its Oldham Street store (but is still in Afflecks) – commented: “So sorry to hear this, retail landlords in Manchester are absolutely in their sh*tbag era right now.”
Thrift Shop Manchester will close for good on Saturday 30 May.
Demolition and regeneration plans for former Manchester shopping centre to begin next month
Emily Sergeant
Plans to demolish and regenerate a former shopping centre in a Manchester suburb are set to kick off from next month.
Following planning approval at the end of 2025, major plans to transform the former Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre into a ‘thriving’ new destination to live and shop are set to commence with demolition in the next couple of weeks.
If you’re unfamiliar with the plans for the new Chorlton neighbourhood, they include 262 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, all with access to outdoor space through balconies and gardens, 53 affordable homes – with 49 of them being available for social rent – and around 3,500 sq metres of public open space with fully walkable routes and outdoor seating areas.
A mix of flexible retail spaces, including a new ‘Makers Yard’ suitable for smaller start-up businesses will also be included, alongside new tree planting.
Phase one of the project will involve the dismantling the former shopping centre and neighbouring Graeme House buildings.
According to developers, the first step will be to close the precinct car park at the end of this month, before new hoardings are installed around the site to close the area off to pedestrians and vehicles for safety reasons.
The demolition work is expected to begin in mid-June, and be completed by August.
Where possible, materials from the existing buildings will be reused during construction of the new neighbourhood in a bid to help reduce the number of vehicles needed to remove materials from the site.
“Demolition marks another major milestone for the project, which will completely transform the former shopping centre,” commented Georgina Lynch, who is the managing director at Manchester-based developers, PJ Livesey.
“Our demolition contractor will carefully manage any issues throughout the work, and we will continue to stay in regular contact with local residents and businesses as the demolition progresses.”
Emily Sergeant -
7th September 2023 
