Lancaster branch of Wilko not on closure list - but future remains uncertain

Wednesday, 6 September 2023 11:50

The Lancaster branch of Wilko has not been included on a list of shops closing next week, but the store’s future remains uncertain.

The 52 Wilko shops set to close next week have been named, after the chain collapsed earlier this year.

Administrators PwC say 26 shops will close next Tuesday, with a further 28 on Thursday September 14, due to the absence of viable offers for the whole company, making around a thousand staff redundant.

The Lancaster store, on Penny Street, is not on the list, but its future remains unclear after administrators said they couldn’t rule out further branch closures across the country.

Edward Williams, joint administrator, said: “In the absence of viable offers for the whole business, very sadly store closures and redundancies of team members from those stores are now necessary.

‘’The loss of these stores will be felt not only by the team members who served them with such dedication, including through the uncertainty of recent weeks, but also the communities which they have been a part of.

“We are enormously grateful for the support of team members during this difficult period and remain committed to doing all we can to help affected staff, assisting them with processing redundancy claims and working with relevant parties to help secure new employment as quickly as possible.

‘’Active discussions with parties interested in buying parts of the business continue and the administrators remain committed to preserving as many jobs as possible. However, depending on the outcome of those talks, it is possible that further store closures may regrettably be necessary.’’

Wilko is a British high-street retail chain founded in 1930 which sells homeware and household goods, with 400 stores across the UK and approximately 12,500 employees.

The Group has been hit by incredibly challenging trading conditions, both throughout the pandemic and more recently as it has felt the impact of the cost of living crisis, resulting in increasing cashflow pressure and a deterioration in trading.

Rival B&M has already greed a £13m deal for up to 51 of Wilko's buildings.