Wilko has announced it is closing another 86 stores this week in a crushing blow to the British high street.
Wilko, who had more than 400 stores and employed more than 12,500 people, went into administration last month after sharp losses and cash flow issues.
Administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) were in the end unable to find a buyer for the entire company so some of the shops have now closed for good.
Store closures began on September 12 with 24 shops closing their doors to the public.
Just two days later on September 14, another 28 stores were closed for good.
Yesterday, 28 Wilko stores closed and this week it’s anticipated that 86 sites will close with 38 closing tomorrow (September 19) and a further 48 going on September 21.
It’s believed that all of Wilko’s stores will have closed by early next month which will result in more than 9,000 people being made unemployed.
Last week, it was confirmed by PwC that home, garden, and leisure retailer The Range had snapped up Wilko’s brand, website and intellectual property.
The deal means The Range can sell Wilko products in its stores. However, the deal did not include physical sites.
Poundland has also agreed to take over up to 71 Wilko store leases. The stores will be rebranded under the Poundland name and Wilko staff will be prioritised for jobs once the transaction is complete.
Earlier this month, discount chain B&M signed a £13million deal to buy up to 51 stores. It’s not yet been confirmed which stores have been bought but it’s expected they will be rebranded as B&M shops.
Here’s a full list of the Wilko stores closing this week:
Wilko stores closing on September 19:
- Aberdare
- Alfreton
- Ashby
- Barnstaple
- Belper
- Beverley
- Blackheath
- Brigg
- Byker
- Chepstow
- Clifton Nottingham
- Colindale
- Devizes
- Didcot
- Earlestown
- East Ham
- Great Bridge
- Greenbridge
- Grimsby
- Hessle Road – Hull
- Jarrow
- Kimberley
- Leighton Buzzard
- Long Eaton
- Maesteg
- Matlock
- Middleton
- Newton Abbot
- Redcar
- Ripley
- Seaham
- Sherwood
- Stamford
- Stevenage
- Swanley
- Tamworth
- Wrexham
- Wythenshawe
