Wilko to close 16 stores

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I can’t believe Wilko are closing stores! I thought they’d be in the strongest position. I find their online shopping presence be underwhelming.

I read that. I do love Wilko's, however we now have B&M and Home Bargains which are both out of town, free parking and not too far to carry anything large.
The 3 nearest Wilko's are in the middle of town and quite a way from the car park which you have to pay for.

Also I don't find Wilko's much cheaper than anywhere else sadly.

I loved Wilko, it was so useful to have nearby and was always busy, but they closed the large one in my nearest town around five years ago due to a massive rent increase on the unit, the owners of the centre refused to negotiate a lower rent.
Incidentally that large unit has been empty ever since so surely a lower rent coming in would’ve been preferable, and a better business decision, than none at all.

That’s sad. We don’t have one in our town but I always hoped they’d take over the Woolworths shop. I like a browse in Wilko. They do lots of nice inexpensive stationery.

We’re getting a home bargains in a few months. Is that a similar sort of shop?

I can’t remember the last time I actually went into a Wilko store. As a previous poster said B&M and Home Bargains are the ones

Ours is a dump these days. Such a shame.
I assume they've let lots of staff go and the remaining staff can't keep on top of it. Lots of empty shelves too.

@UnitedRoad Home Bargains is brilliant, it does stationery, toiletries, food and drink, frozen foods, pet stuff, baby stuff, household items, pretty much everything

The ones in the bigger towns near here are rubbish. I used to like them about 10 years ago but haven't bought anything from one for a long time.

Our Wilkos is in the city centre so I rarely go to it, the Home Bargains and B&M are both on retail parks so much easier to get to and park.

Wilkos does do some beautiful bits and bobs though.

If our local store is typical, they're struggling because they have bugger all stock in their stores. I go into our store about once a month, and ever since it re-opened after the first lockdown, there are loads of "staple" products that are never in stock anymore, even simple things such as we've been unable to buy parcel tape or plain/simple sponges from them for the last 18 months! Empty shelves everywhere for basic items and spreading out the seasonal stuff to make the store look more full than it really is. They're clearly struggling with serious supply chain issues.

@UnitedRoad

That’s sad. We don’t have one in our town but I always hoped they’d take over the Woolworths shop. I like a browse in Wilko. They do lots of nice inexpensive stationery.

We’re getting a home bargains in a few months. Is that a similar sort of shop?

I do like Home Bargains but I do have to be quite restrained. It's great to go down, park outside and buy laundry powder/cat litter/cat food/cleaning stuff and just take it to the car as you would in a supermarket but I'm not convinced they are much cheaper than elsewhere. Some of the food though is definitely cheaper but we're not talking nutrition here on the whole. So biscuits/cereals/packets/bottles and tins all good if you want to stock up, and they do some nice yoghurts, and they are good for alcohol.

It's the sort of shop that you go into for cotton wool balls and come out with a trolley full though, and they're open 8-10 which is very convenient.

WILKO is my favourite store. I was glad my local one wasn't on the list for closures- there would be pretty much nothing left in the town centre!

Mine is a few mins walk away. I think their prices are generally lower than the supermarket on stuff like loo roll, detergent etc.

Stock has been an issue since Covid started though. Yesterday I was there and wanted some nose tissues.

There are normally say 10 different varieties available on the shelf. Yesterday none available at all.

I’m now really excited about Home Bargains!

People are being a bit snooty about it on the local Facebook page, but I guarantee they’ll be in there with their Waitrose hessian bags 😂

The Wilko's Pic n Mix that goes Half Price in the school holidays. DH always goes in and loads up large cup. Although he stopped when Covid arrived just to be on the safe side.

I do like their range of garden bird food too, it seems better quality than others.

I notice that Redditch is on the list.

From memory they were the second biggest store in the Kingfisher after Primark ? Debenhams, Marks have gone.

What!!!! I love Wilco. But agree the location can be an issue as they do sell heavy or large items that are a pain to carry back.

@UnitedRoad

I’m now really excited about Home Bargains!

People are being a bit snooty about it on the local Facebook page, but I guarantee they’ll be in there with their Waitrose hessian bags 😂

Oh they will! Our one was a Homebase before and we already had a B&M so people were on FB saying we don't need any more. But the car park is always busy and they're doing great trade form what I can tell. Although I quite like getting there for either 8am or 8pm and having the place to myself!

@DGRossetti

I notice that Redditch is on the list.

From memory they were the second biggest store in the Kingfisher after Primark ? Debenhams, Marks have gone.

I haven't been there for years. I remember the palm trees? Has M&S gone too now? Last time i went they still had a Druckers which I really liked.

The Stockton store is closing because the current location is being demolished (shopping centre) and apparently they couldn't find a suitable location to move to within the remaining shopping area.

Stock has been an issue since Covid started though. Yesterday I was there and wanted some nose tissues

Nose tissue is an issue everywhere at the moment. Home Bargains have either had none at all or one or two types only for ages. My local stores have taken to putting different stock there so I presume this isn't just a short term supply issue.

I love Wilko. Pop in at least once a week.

I don't think of them as being an online retailer at all.

united put it this way. Home Bargains have an own brand bag for life with the slogan "I only popped in for one thing...."

That's a shame, we don't have one locally and it's about the only high street shop i miss from 'home'. Used to pick up all sorts from there. We've got HB and similar but I just don't like them as much for some reason, I don't think they're inferior to Wilko, just different. Although they definitely have the right idea being on the smaller retail parks round here.

That’s shame it’s a big store here, hope it’s not one of them . But saying that since covid the customer service is v.poor. No one wants to serve you it’s all self serve tills only. They used to have have three sections to pay now it’s only one and huge queues

We have a local one in the town centre, I used to love it but the stock has been really lacking but also toiletries are on par with Boots in price now so I don't think it can compete with B&M / Home Bargains which is where they used to pitch their price point.

@user1497207191

If our local store is typical, they're struggling because they have bugger all stock in their stores. I go into our store about once a month, and ever since it re-opened after the first lockdown, there are loads of "staple" products that are never in stock anymore, even simple things such as we've been unable to buy parcel tape or plain/simple sponges from them for the last 18 months! Empty shelves everywhere for basic items and spreading out the seasonal stuff to make the store look more full than it really is. They're clearly struggling with serious supply chain issues.

Agree with this.

I don't really even bother going in now.