Wilko has made a comeback to the high street in the UK, opening five new locations so far, with a sixth on the way.
The high street retailer went out of business last year after going into insolvency, but The Range, a competitor store, later paid £5 million to acquire the brand.
CDS Superstores, which owns and operates The Range, reportedly plans to open 300 new stores under the Wilko brand. However, the opening dates of most of these locations remains to be confirmed.
Alex Simpkin, chief executive of the business behind Wilko, said last year: “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.
“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.”
Full list of new Wilko stores
CDS Superstores has already opened new Wilko locations in:
- Plymouth, Armada Shopping Centre
- Exeter, Guildhall Shopping Centre
- Luton, Luton Point
- St Albans, The Maltings
- Rotherham, Parkgate Shopping Park
- Poole, Dolphin Centre - due to open on August 16
Though it hasn't disclosed any additional locations or opening dates, CDS Superstores has previously stated that it hopes to open 300 new Wilko stores.
Before it closed its doors in August 2023, Wilko had about 400 stores and employed about 12,500 people.According to CDS, these employees are given priority to work in the new outlets.PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was unable to find a buyer for Wilko at the time of its administration, therefore its shop leases and other assets were sold off piecemeal.
Both new locations and former Wilko stores are being evaluated as possible locations for new stores.The new stores carry standard Wilko items such as home and cleaning supplies, DIY projects for decorating, garden and outdoor supplies, home furnishings, supplies for animals and pets, storage solutions, and holiday decor.
