Wilko on the brink ...

[SerendipityJane]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66395824

It's a shame for the staff of course, but as it's not somewhere I've ever regularly shopped at, I won't miss it.

All those shops - Wilkos, B&M, Home Bargains, The Range, Poundstretcher, One Below - seem to sell the same cheapo stuff and are virtually interchangeable imho.

Very occasionally DH has bought odd bits in the one in our nearest town (we're also rural) such as picture hooks and a tiny real Christmas tree. I went into a larger one a few months back looking for a particular chocolate product and was amazed at how bare the shelves were, so I'm not remotely surprised.

I went in one recently . It was such a bizarre experience, it was as if it had been ransacked and none of the staff had noticed. They had a huge clearance area at one end where everything was piled up , broken, With loads of stock on the floor and broken shelf units. Otherwise the shelves were pretty much empty with everything out of stock. A shame really as it used to be great for back to school stuff, cleaning products and Christmas decs.

mrs the barbers survive because they're mostly money laundering.

We have a Wilkinson a out of town retail park a well as high st

Both are always empty

I’m really not surprised the ones near me nobody goes in it’s empty never any staff about it’s just bizzare .
there are 3 near me in various busy shopping centres all empty when I’ve been in .
the hours are odd too I went one Thursday at 5.15 after work thinking it shut 5.30-6pm like the other shops no it was 5pm I mean they aren’t getting any custom who finish work at 5pm who’s going to go they’ll go to B&m down the road open till 7pm .
everything online Oos you can’t get click n collect the nearest one anymore near me either .
i used to love Wilko but it’s gone downhill last few years .

I'm gutted i absolutely love it much cheaper for floor wipes, stationary, canvas, gardening stuff etc..

You can check online if stuff is in as well before going down there which is handy

Our local one is great, but every time I venture into another one i find it disappointing.

Have noticed stock issues lately though

I can see our local one closing as it's right next door to a "Home bargains" :(

I saw it coming sadly. Our local branch used to be busy, well stocked and have plenty of helpful staff. You could also do free click and collect.
Now they've turned all the checkouts into self service, not even proper self service just the original tills and scanning gun with a screen instead of a person. No click and collect anymore just an expensive order to store. Hardly any staff, lots of bare shelves, few customers, no atmosphere. Like others have said it's now competing with b&m and home bargains, which are generally better.

People can't buy stuff when there's no stock. And they've had empty shelves for quite a while now.
I will miss them if they go - their paint and cat litter are very good. And I like a potter around the house stuff.

I'm very reluctant to shop at The Range because they refuse to display prices on so many items, and often display incorrect prices for the ones that do have prices displayed.

@FatOaf That’s why I don’t shop at B&M. The last time I went in was to buy two shelves for in my son’s bedroom.
Both had special offer price stickers stuck on with the price printed but only one scanned at the offer price while the other scanned £3 more expensive and they wouldn’t honour the offer on that one.
Plus the local stores are all dingy unlike Home Bargains and Wilko.

Money laundering pits I assume, being “Cash Only” also a giveaway.

That will have been a barcode change on the packaging. It’s why I use the scanner app.

Two things:
The Wilkos near me is surprisingly great, especially for kids' stuff..I've bought their cutlery, water bottles, bath stuff, toys, etc. Recently though, they scrapped the toy aisle. The Wilkos near my parents is awful: we made a trip to pick up some specific things for my son's birthday and left without buying anything.
2) our town centre already has a Wilko, opposite the home bargain and the pound land. Five minutes walk away from the b and m. The other side of the complex is a body care, superdrug and boots. There's no variety at all.

Stock has been sparse in Wilko for a good year or more. The staff always blamed supply issues on covid/Brexit etc if you asked them. Funny how how these issues never impacted their competitors who always had full shelves.

Definitely supply issues but down to a cash flow problem not a brexit/covid problem

I will miss their pick and mix if they go 😔

@Georgieporgie29 it’s the same pic n mix sold anywhere that sells pic n mix.

You couldnt pay me to eat that stuff. Think of all the grotty people who might of touched it before you stick it in your mouth

Pic n mix?? Ugh no thanks!

@Popworld actually yes the last time I had some wilko pic n mix it went straight through me 🤮
I also used to work in the stock room of woolies so could tell you many a gross story of pic n mix 🤮🤮🤢
Ignore my previous post @Georgieporgie29. It doesn’t matter if the same stuff sold elsewhere. Just don’t buy it. Ever 😂

Ha ha thanks for the advice. I only buy it when it's full price because nobody else seems to bother then 😃 I cannot find those big jazzies anywhere else though and the red pencil like things taste nicer than elsewhere

Anyone who doesn't drive might find the town centre stores more convenient. I know I do.

Both of those open later through the week. I cba attempting Wilcos or either of those 2 on a weekend. Wilco close mostly at 5pm