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watersprites · 03/08/2023 14:06

"they are hardly unique in what they sell.
B+M
Home Bargains
The Range
One Below
Dunelm
Non food section of supermarkets
Poundstretchers
Poundland
All sell pretty much the same stuff"

Lots of these shops aren't on high streets though.

missbunnyrabbit · 03/08/2023 14:08

I think there is a consensus here that Wilko is in town centres whereas other similar shops are not, so there will be a gap in the market for a local, accessible DIY/garden type shop.

UseOfWeapons · 03/08/2023 14:08

I used to buy all sorts in there but the past few months, my local one has been poorly stocked. It’s convenient for me, because I don’t have a car, and can get a lot of different things there without going to several stores, or cycling further for a single item. I’ll miss them if they go, but they do need a bit of an uplift and a decent stock flow.

VerityRoss · 03/08/2023 14:09

Nooo I love all their gardening and bird feeding stuff, so much cheaper than a garden centre.

They have much better quality stock than pound shops which really are cheap and nasty.

itsmylife7 · 03/08/2023 14:09

Oh no they are the only shop that sale the stick up paper blinds .

watersprites · 03/08/2023 14:10

I think there is a consensus here that Wilko is in town centres whereas other similar shops are not, so there will be a gap in the market for a local, accessible DIY/garden type shop.

In my part of London I think B&Q are going for this market as they've opened some high street smaller stores as opposed to the drive to out of town places.

Needmorelego · 03/08/2023 14:11

@QueefQueen80s if Wilkos goes your town might get one of the others moving in.

Merapi · 03/08/2023 14:11

They used to be absolutely brilliant, especially their Christmas decorations, bedding, kitchenware, stationery and all the gardening stuff. I've seen a decline for quite some time now.

Needmorelego · 03/08/2023 14:12

@watersprites apart from supermarkets and Dunelm and B+M they are pretty much all on “the high street” where I am.

CoffeeWithCheese · 03/08/2023 14:13

frazzlerazzle · 03/08/2023 13:29

Love Wilko. Their own brand scrubbable paint is brilliant. I'll really miss it when it goes.

This - most of our last house was Wilko paint and it had stood up to the general abuse my kids and dog can inflict on a house really really well (and their "stardust" shade was a lovely grey with lilac undertones)

Yfory · 03/08/2023 14:14

I stopped going in there when they made the tills self service. Home Bargains, B&M, the Range sell everything I might otherwise get from Wilko - whose branding, stock etc has barely altered in years.

BarbaraofSeville · 03/08/2023 14:14

missbunnyrabbit · 03/08/2023 14:08

I think there is a consensus here that Wilko is in town centres whereas other similar shops are not, so there will be a gap in the market for a local, accessible DIY/garden type shop.

We have a couple of independent ones of those where I am.

One has been going for decades. It used to be in the next village along from where I grew up. It moved a few years ago, but it's still very much the 'neighbourhood hardware store'.

The other one started out in the city centre but was a bit of a pop up and I think the city centre lease was probably too expensive. It moved out to a very MN suburb (opposite Waitrose and next to an artisan bakery, no less).

But both are very much the sorts of places where you can go in and buy 4 screws if that's what you wanted.

watersprites · 03/08/2023 14:19

@Needmorelego and? I was just making the point not every high street is the same.

I'm in Wandsworth, the closest B&M to me is Peckham & the closest range is in Croydon. I is be never even heard of one below!

watersprites · 03/08/2023 14:20

I do have a pound shop but wouldn't buy anything except snacks in there.

CouldIHaveThatInEnglishPlease · 03/08/2023 14:22

Not surprised, I've known they've been struggling for a long time now.

Such a shame though, they do the best value pick'n'mix

FatOaf · 03/08/2023 14:22

I asked a member of staff if they were closing down as it all looked so empty, he said they were having problems with deliveries. I wasn't convinced.

They were having problems getting credit insurance, so suppliers wouldn't sell stock to them unless they paid in advance, which they couldn't afford to do.

QueefQueen80s · 03/08/2023 14:22

missbunnyrabbit · 03/08/2023 14:08

I think there is a consensus here that Wilko is in town centres whereas other similar shops are not, so there will be a gap in the market for a local, accessible DIY/garden type shop.

Exactly 🙌🏼

QueefQueen80s · 03/08/2023 14:22

Needmorelego · 03/08/2023 14:11

@QueefQueen80s if Wilkos goes your town might get one of the others moving in.

That's true, fingers crossed

BreehyHinnyBrinnyHoohyHah · 03/08/2023 14:23

My small town has lots of lovely independent shops that charge a small fortune, plus a Wilko's. So it would be a shame here for us to lose that as it's the go-to for any homewares type supplies. I don't think any of the bargain type shops would want to move in as I think the footprint is probably a bit too small.

MrsR87 · 03/08/2023 14:23

This is sad but I’m not surprised following a visit to my local store recently.

I have such fond memories of my Wilko store growing up as a teenager and I probably spent a small fortune in there over the years.

My local one has no free parking close by (unlike similar stores a few minutes away by car) and when I went in recently it honestly looked like a jumble sale; there was hardly any stock, what they had was a mess, the prices were higher for some products that my local supermarket. I didn’t buy anything (they didn’t have what I needed).

Rockbird · 03/08/2023 14:24

I've never really liked Wilko. Don't get me wrong, I'm very sad for the staff if it can't be saved. But Woolies (which I loved) died for a reason so it was obvious that a shop that did more or less the same thing would die too. So much of what they both sell is available in supermarkets.

FatOaf · 03/08/2023 14:26

if Wilkos goes your town might get one of the others moving in.

Plenty of B&Ms and Poundstretchers closing down, too. If your Wilko closes it's much more likely a few takeaways and/or Turkish barbers will move in.

ThrappleApple · 03/08/2023 14:26

Our home bargains and b&m (which is actually next to wilkos) don't sell the things I tend to buy in wilkos. Wilkos has a much wider range of DIY and gardening equipment and pet food.

6 miles to our nearest DIY shop and/or garden centre.

PositiveLife · 03/08/2023 14:26

I'm not surprised. There's 2 near me that I use. One is on the high street with Home Bargains and B&M next door, the other is on a retail park with The Range.
The one on the retail park has always been too small, totally random stock and looks run down even though it's the newer one.
The high street one is much better but B&M and home bargains have very similar stuff and are often cheaper.

QueefQueen80s · 03/08/2023 14:28

ThrappleApple · 03/08/2023 14:26

Our home bargains and b&m (which is actually next to wilkos) don't sell the things I tend to buy in wilkos. Wilkos has a much wider range of DIY and gardening equipment and pet food.

6 miles to our nearest DIY shop and/or garden centre.

Same

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