More than 60 former Wilko sites have re-opened as Poundland stores in the UK in 2023 - including Stevenage and Hitchin.
Wilko entered administration in August leaving all 400 stores and 12,500 employees at risk.
Administrators at PwC were forced to sell off Wilko’s assets after failing to secure a rescue deal for the whole business.
As a result, all Wilko stores were forced to close.
Fellow British retailers, including B&M and Poundland, brought a number of Wilko sites following its collapse.
While The Range agreed a deal to buy Wilko’s brand for around £5 million.
Full list of former Wilko stores that have opened as Poundlands in 2023
Poundland has completed its new store and relocation programme for the quarter and has revealed it has opened 64 former Wilko sites in 2023, since its first round on September 30.
We’re opening/relocating 75 stores over three months! 🥳
— Poundland (@Poundland) October 25, 2023
We wouldn’t be able to do this without our amazing team - including over 500 former Wilko colleagues who are joining us.
Find out if we’re coming to an area local to you: https://t.co/X2PWlyqu7i pic.twitter.com/Fbo0UO0ZGm
The 64 former Wilko stores that have opened as a Poundland since September 30 are:
September 30
- Stafford
- Nelson
- Stockport
- Eccles
- Southport
- Leigh
- Barking
- Maidenhead
- Jarrow
- Scunthorpe
October 7
- Melton Mowbray
- Matlock
- Chepstow
- Nottingham
- Worcester
- Ellesmere Port
- Brigg
- Redruth
- Ferndown
- Pontypool
October 14
- Ripley
- Bolton
- Gateshead
- Bicester
- Peterborough
- Sheffield Hillsborough
- Cramlington
- Rugeley
October 21
- Brentwood
- Altrincham
- Worksop
- West Ealing
- Wembley
- Sale
- Seaham
- Selly Oak
- Bishops Stortford
October 28
- Ammanford
- Alfreton
- Thornaby
- South Shields
- Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Killingworth)
- Shrewsbury
- Droitwich
- Redhill, Leicester
- Hitchin
November 4
- Alnwick
- Headingley
- Grimsby
- Hull
- Lichfield
- Wombwell
- Edmonton Green
- Greenock
- Peterlee
November 25
- Stevenage
- Camberley
- Barnstable
- Long Eaton
- Retford
December 9
- Chester
- Swindon
- Fareham
As part of its store opening programme, Poundland has also opened a destination store at Birmingham Fort in a former Wilko unit.
In 2024 Poundland said it expects to be able to open other new Poundlands in former Wilko units, moving well beyond the 71 lease options it obtained from administrators on September 12, 2023.
All the new Poundland stores at former Wilko locations will also be given additional makeovers where needed in the new year.
Poundland reveals it has recruited more than 900 former Wilko employees
Poundland also revealed it has recruited 962 former Wilko employees to join its team over the past three months.
We’ve been overwhelmed by the response from Wilko colleagues as we’ve opened 64 former Wilko shops as new Poundland stores over the last 70 days.
— Poundland (@Poundland) December 13, 2023
& we’re pleased to say that over 950 (962 to be precise) of them have now joined our teams to help us open those stores. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/du8XNkFIEm
In the 64 Wilko locations it has re-opened, 826 former employees have now joined Poundland on hourly paid contracts, with 122 becoming Poundland store managers or assistant store managers.
A further 14 former Wilko colleagues have begun working at Poundland’s main customer support centre in Walsall.
Poundland added it will be able to extend further opportunities to former Wilko colleagues as it secures leases on more Wilko stores in the new year.
Over the last two months Poundland has also recruited 1,200 temporary colleagues to work in stores across the UK and Ireland in the run-up to Christmas.
People director at Poundland, Simon Wells, said: “I really want to thank the Poundland team for their extraordinary efforts in making so many roles available, so quickly, to those affected by the administration of Wilko.
“We know by keeping our promise to re-open former Wilko stores in such numbers, and at such pace, we’ve made a big difference to hundreds of people.
“We’re incredibly proud that so many former Wilko team members have now chosen to continue their careers here at Poundland.”
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