If you’ve been following the Wilko saga since the brand went bust last year, you’ll know that it’s been a real emotional rollercoaster. First we thought it was gone for good, then the brand was bought by The Range, which promised to open 300 new Wilko outlets, while Poundland purchased 71 stores to turn into new Poundland branches.
Now, just months after converting the ex-Wilko sites, Poundland is closing nine of them. A spokesperson for the discount chain told The Grocer that the decision was down to a ‘constant review’ of its properties.
Some, like the Hillsborough branch, have already shut their doors, but others have a few more days to go. The Stafford branch has apparently been replaced with a Poundland at nearby retail park, while the Nelson site in Lancashire had to say farewell because of plans to knock down and redevelop a shopping centre.
A spokesperson told the Mirror: ‘We moved really quickly to open a significant number of former Wilko stores in the final calendar quarter of 2023 so we could offer roles quickly. While it’s disappointing we haven’t been able to make a small number of them work in the long-term, all the people employed at those stores have been offered roles at nearby locations.’
The Poundland stores closing that were Wilko shops
- Alfreton
- Bishop’s Stortford
- Ealing
- Eccles
- Ellesmere Port
- Hillsborough
- Jarrow
- Nelson
- Stafford
Keeping up with the high street
There have been several changes happening on our high streets recently. The Body Shop is closing 100 of its stores across the country and beloved stationary provider Muji went into administration last month. For the full picture, here’s the full list of high street stores closing in 2024.
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