Just weeks after the final Wilko stores closed following the chain’s collapse into administration, the brand’s new owner has announced that it is bringing back Wilko shops to high streets and retail parks.
CDS Superstores has already relaunched the Wilko website and is selling Wilko products in some of its own The Range stores.
It has now revealed plans to launch five standalone “concept stores” under the Wilko brand before Christmas to test various approaches. The first new Wilko shops will open in Plymouth and Exeter in the coming weeks, followed by two in the southeast of England and one in the North.
CDS stated it was planning an “aggressive” roll-out in the new year, including in Northern Ireland, where Wilko didn’t previously have any stores. Both former Wilko locations and new sites are being considered for openings.
The new Wilko shops will sell products the chain was previously known for, covering categories such as household, DIY, garden, homeware, and pets.
Chief Executive of CDS Superstores, Alex Simpkin, 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. It was their advanced own-brand capabilities that encouraged us to invest in the brand and wilko.com, and we’re excited to now be selling Wilko products online once more and across our 200 stores network.
“The public reaction to the loss of Wilko stores was undeniable. It’s clear that there’s a huge love for Wilko, and we’ve seen an encouraging demand for the return of its own-brand products. 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.
“The team from Wilko that joined us through the acquisition has shown true resilience, they’ve set to work to integrate the best parts of Wilko into The Range’s operational systems. We’re expanding that team every day with new Wilko hires and can’t wait to extend that back out to local communities.”
He added: “We’ll endeavour to give ex-Wilko employees priority as a part of the recruitment process for the new stores.”
NAM Implications:
- The Range: ‘It was their advanced own-brand capabilities that encouraged us to invest in the brand and wilko.com’
- An indicator re where The Range is headed?
- Meanwhile, it looks like the best of Wilko is headed back to the high street…
- Time for proposals to The Range buying Team?
