Wilko on the brink ...

[SerendipityJane]

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

I like that I can walk to Wilko and not bother with the car, the carpark if I did want to use it is free anyway

This is why I go to mine too.

Very sad it’s such a useful shop, not everyone who needs a tin of paint can drive to B&Q or need some bedding they want to see and touch first has a big Dunelm shop. Want a birthday gift toy or birthday card then out of luck here. Even if you need some pens or highlighters for school then it be high prices at a supermarket and limited choice. Our little shopping street is going take a huge hit

@Akire have you got a branch of The Works near you?
Toys, Stationery, Birthday cards etc all sold there at good value prices.

I go in there once a year to buy The Snowman kitchen roll. They didn't have any last year and I joked with DD that it was a bad omen.

The Times reporting that Wilko hasn’t paid any property taxes in its’ stores for a few months, and warns that bailiffs are likely to start turning up at the shops.

Wilko fails to pay rates on its stores

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/f81e5b6e-32fc-11ee-b862-55515d26d392?shareToken=075a5a03ead1e4f95b910237b293a86b

I went in yesterday to stock up on particular bin bags I use 😀, I also bought more half price seeds. It was quite busy.

Was just talking about this last night. Why is it always my favourite shops that go under😩. I'll miss their paint. It was better than dulux.

I will miss Wilko. So handy when I'm at work in town to pop in for bits and bobs without making a special journey. Like others I really liked their own brand paint, garden stuff, bird food. I found it better quality than BandM (who don't do their own brand stuff so much?).
Our nearest B&M is due to close as well anyway. Only been in a Home Bargains once and didn't like it at all. I try to avoid defaulting to Amazon as soon it will be the only thing left and once we're all entirely reliant on them, what then?!

Looks like it's over for them now:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/10/wilko-collapses-into-administration-after-rescue-talks-fail

Exactly the same for me. I said to my Mum that Wilkos wouldn't survive 2023 as they had nothing on the shelves in December, not even Snowman loo roll / kitchen roll! (Luckily Aldi sold out so we didn't go without).

Gutted - I love Wilko and our store always seems to be well stocked with everything. I buy all of my bird food in there and their gardening stuff is great and I tend to buy small homeware/DIY bits from there as well.

I generally come out with more than I went in for whenever I go in 😀. We don't have a B&M in the town centre and I found Poundland don't have the same selection or it's pretty poor.

On one of those links (or linked to one of those links) about not having paid the rates for so long, it mentioned the Wilkinson family still having taken, and continuing to take, large sums of money out of the business? Is that accurate and partly to blame?

It might just be our local Home Bargains, but the shelves have been quite sparse and bare there in the last few months.

i went there at the weekend but the bird feeders looked a bit cheap and rubbish. i couldnt find a nice mug, and bought nothing