Budget retailer Wilko has collapsed into administration - leaving shoppers wondering which Wilko stores are closing down.
In another blow for the high street, 85-year-old everyday essentials retailer Wilko is expected to close the majority of its stores, after it was forced to call in administrators. Weeks of talks with interested parties failed to result in a rescue deal for the chain, meaning shops across the UK and as many as 12,500 jobs are at risk. The news comes after recent Boots store closures, and M&S announcing plans to close stores into 2023 too.
And despite the news that B&M and Poundland have bought Wilko stores, while 52 others have been earmarked for closure, there are over 200 more shops with their fate hanging in the balance as talks with potential buyers continue. Some Wilko stores will be reopening under new brand names, but we reveal here which closures have been confirmed and the reasons behind the chain's demise.
Which Wilko stores are closing down? Full list
Administrators PwC have confirmed that 52 Wilkos stores will close, with 26 sites shutting for good on Tuesday 12 September, and 28 more closing their doors on Thursday 14.
More than 1,000 staff are being made redundant, while the remaining sites will continue to operate as normal with no immediate store closures or job cuts. Edward Williams, joint administrator at PwC, said the closures and job losses were "necessary" due to lack of buyers for the whole business, adding, "The loss of these stores will be felt not only by the team members who served them with such dedication, including through the uncertainty of recent weeks, but also the communities which they have been a part of."
Previously, Wilko was forced to close number of stores in 2022, saying at the time that the closures would not affect its new openings or store relocation programme. Then chief executive Jerome Saint-Marc said at the time, "We'll continue to pull together to make our business better to secure the future of over 16,000 team members," saying, "We'll be doing everything we can to support our affected team members who will be offered any available positions in nearby stores."
Which Wilko stores are closing? Full list
- Acton - 12 September
- Aldershot - 12 September
- Barking - 12 September
- Bishop Auckland - 12 September
- Bletchley - 12 September
- Brownhills - 12 September
- Camberley - 12 September
- Cardiff Bay Retail Park - 12 September
- Falmouth - 12 September
- Harpurhey - 12 September
- Irvine - 12 September
- Liverpool Edge Lane - 12 September
- Llandudno - 12 September
- Lowestoft - 12 September
- Morley - 12 September
- Nelson - 12 September
- Port Talbot - 12 September
- Putney - 12 September
- Stafford - 12 September
- Tunbridge Wells - 12 September
- Wakefield - 12 September
- Weston-super-Mare - 12 September
- Westwood Cross - 12 September
- Winsford - 12 September
- Ashford - 14 September
- Avonmeads - 14 September
- Banbury - 14 September
- Barrow in Furness - 14 September
- Basildon, Belle Vale - 14 September
- Burnley - 14 September
- Clydebank - 14 September
- Cortonwood - 14 September
- Dagenham - 14 September
- Dewsbury - 14 September
- Eccles - 14 September
- Folkestone - 14 September
- Great Yarmouth - 14 September
- Hammersmith - 14 September
- Huddersfield - 14 September
- Morriston - 14 September
- New Malden - 14 September
- North Shields - 14 September
- Queen Street Cardiff - 14 September
- Rhyl - 14 September
- Southampton-West Quay - 14 September
- St Austell - 14 September
- Stockport - 14 September
- Truro - 14 September
- Uttoxeter - 14 September
- Walsall - 14 September
- Woking - 14 September
It's been an honour. Read an open letter from Mark Jackson, wilko CEO, here: https://t.co/02l5KXljR2 pic.twitter.com/0FYbL32YocAugust 10, 2023
Which Wilko stores have already closed? Full list
- Bournemouth
- Stockton
- The Fort, Birmingham
- Shipley
- Scunthorpe
- Narborough Road, Leicester
- Grantham
- Redditch
- Rotherham
- Skegness
- Llanelli
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Cleethorpes
Why are Wilko closing stores?
Wilko is closing stores due to financial struggles. The firm borrowed £40 million in January in order to stay afloat, but later in the year Wilko called in administrators, with some saying the high street chain failed to adapt to a competitive landscape.
After no buyer was found for the group, it was announced that the majority of Wilko stores would be closing.
Following the announcement that Wilko had collapsed into administration, Mark Jackson, the chief executive of the retailer, said: "We left no stone unturned when it came to preserving this incredible business but must concede that, with regret, we’ve no choice but to take the difficult decision to enter into administration.
"We’ve all fought hard to keep this incredible business intact but must concede that time has run out and now, we must do what’s best to preserve as many jobs as possible, for as long as is possible, by working with our appointed administrators."
Amid the cost of living crisis, stores across the high street are struggling to maintain costly leases along with dwindling profits, and many customers are now opting to shop online.
The company, which has its headquarters based in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, was formerly known as Wilkinson Cash Stores and Wilkinson Hardware Stores. Despite the name change, Wilko is still a British high street retail chain that sells homewares and household goods and a go-to destination for shoppers to buy essentials.
The company was founded in Leicester by James Kemsey Wilkinson in 1930 and remains in the ownership of the founding family.
The Wilko store closures are another blow to the high street, with other chains who have been forced to close some of their sites recently including Iceland, B&M, New Look and Argos.
