Exact date first 10 Wilko stores will REOPEN as Poundland in days – is your local area getting one?
POUNDLAND will open 10 new stores in just a few days, as they replace those that were once Wilko shops.
All 400 of the collapsed retailer's stores are set to close, with them all shutting by early October.
Wilko went into administration on August 10 and since then a flurry of potential buyers have shown their interest.
Among those was discount chain , which purchased 71 stores and the first are opening in just a few days.
The 10 initial reopenings will be pretty basic to begin with but they will receive a full makeover in 2024.
The shops will mostly include Poundland items but also a selection of Wilko products that weren't sold during the closing down sales.
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Here's the full list of Poundland stores replacing old Wilko sites on Saturday morning (September 30):
- Broad Street, Stafford
- Pendle Rise Shopping Centre, Nelson
- The Peel Centre, Great Portwood Street, Stockport
- The Mall, Church Street, Eccles
- 36-40 London Street, Southport
- Lord Street, Leigh
- 22/28 East Street, Barking
- 88-90 High Street, Maidenhead
- 2 -12 Bede Precinct, Viking Centre, Jarrow
- Unit 2 The Broadway, Scunthorpe
Poundland is encouraging former Wilko staff to apply for roles at the shops, including store assistants and managers, and said it would “prioritise” them for the jobs.
Darren Kay, retail director at Poundland, said: “We’re pleased to be able to re-open so quickly – not least because our ambition is to provide job opportunities for former Wilko colleagues.
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“Of course, we’re not yet in a position to offer our fullest ranges in these stores, but we know customers will appreciate a shop that’s open, trading and employing colleagues to one that’s got its shutters closed.
“We’d encourage customers old and new to come and say hello to their new Poundland team from this coming Saturday in each of these 10 locations.”
Poundland aims to open all the former Wilko stores it bought by the end of 2023.
recently snapped up the Wilko brand, including the name and website, in a £5million deal with administrators.
A message has since appeared on the Wilko website telling customers home delivery is "returning soon".
An exact date for when the service is returning is yet to be revealed.
B&M also purchased 51 stores which means more Wilko shops will be reopening in the near future.
It's not yet confirmed which branches, but previously said it'll give an update in November.
Wilko stores have been closing across the month of September.
On September 12, 24 Wilko stores closed for good and on Thursday September 14, another 28 stores shut up shop.
Both of Wilko’s warehouses also closed on September 15.
A further 38 stores pulled down their shutters one last time on September 17 and 38 more closed on September 19.
On September 22, nearly 50 branches closed their doors and 37 stores close their doors for the final time on Tuesday (September 26).
It comes amid a turbulent time for retailers as they close stores across the UK.
Consumers are increasingly turning to online shopping and away from physical branches, a trend made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.
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High inflation since last year has meant shoppers' money isn't going as far either as they hold off on leisure purchases.
That, combined with high energy and wage costs, has seen a number of retailers closing stores, including Boots and Iceland.
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