Standalone Wilko stores to return to high street this year
The news follows the re-launch of wilko.com and the announcement that Wilko products would be sold in The Range's 200 stores
Standalone Wilko stores are set to return to the high street and retail parks across Britain, including Northern Ireland for the first time, as new owner The Range prepares to roll-out the brand once again.
Five stand-alone concept stores will now open before Christmas 2023, and the first two locations will be Plymouth and Exeter, closely followed by two locations in the South-East, and one in the North to be announced “imminently”.
The news follows the re-launch of wilko.com and the announcement that Wilko products would be sold in The Range’s 200 stores.
Alexander Simpkin, CEO of CDS Superstores, which trades as The Range and Wilko, said: “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.
“The public reaction to the loss of wilko stores was undeniable. 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.”
He added: “Our team from wilko that joined us through the acquisition has shown true resilience. We’re expanding that team every day with new wilko hires and can’t wait to extend that back out to local communities.
“We’ll endeavour to give ex-wilko employees priority as a part of the recruitment process for the new stores.”
It was first revealed that value retail chain The Range agreed to purchase the Wilko brand in a deal worth £5m last month.
