28 October 2023 , 09:59
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Chain store Wilko is to open five outlets in new areas before the festive season.
The firm stopped trading on October 8, before a new owner called CDS Superstores took over and said the stores will reopen across the UK. The new owner, which has existing shops under The Range name will launch standalone outlets. They will open in five locations with the first two Wilko shops being opened in Plymouth and Exeter. This is expected to happen in early December before three further stores follow.
The two new branches in the South-East and one further north will the retailer said be "announced imminently" There are also proposals to start trading in Northern Ireland. After it closed this month, several retailers wanted to buy the sites of the old Wilko outlets.
Shoppers in Plymouth which has been earmarked for a new Wilko (Getty Images)The Mirror reported earlier this month how the home and hardware retailer will shut the doors of its final 41 branches today, just under two months after it collapsed into administration. All its stores are closing, or have been taken on by rival brands, after administrators at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) were unable to find a buyer for the whole business
B&M has agreed to buy up to 51 stores and Poundland will take on the leases of up to 71 sites. But sadly for Wilko fans, Poundland has already confirmed its stores will be rebranded as Poundland, and B&M is also expected to convert the shops it is buying.
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Poundland has promised Wilko workers will get priority over jobs in its new stores and has already reopened twenty branches under the Poundland name. B&M has not confirmed which Wilko shops it has bought, or if it will save any jobs.
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But CDS Superstores taking over control means Wilko will be able to open for trading once again.
Alex Simpkin, CEO of CDS Superstores, said: "For the majority of its 93 years, wilko was an incredibly successful business that gave its customers exactly what they needed to get their home and garden jobs sorted.
The loss of the Wilko chain was not good news for customers who were fans of the much-loved chain (Getty Images)"It was their advanced own-brand capabilities that encouraged us to invest in the brand and wilko.com and we're excited to now be selling Wilko products online once more and across our 200 stores network.
"The public reaction to the loss of wilko stores was undeniable. It's clear that there's a huge love for Wilko and we've seen an encouraging demand for the return of its own-brand products. That's why we've taken the decision to reintroduce Wilko back to many of the high streets and communities that it used to so proudly serve.
He added: "We'll endeavour to give ex-Wilko employees priority as a part of the recruitment process for the new stores."