If we loose Wilko, it will be like loosing Woolworths all over again .
I think M@S might be next I went in recently and it looked like a second rate store .
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That is sad news.
I had heard they were in financial trouble but I didn’t realise they had now got to the stage of going into Administration.
I have always found Wilko to be a very useful shop for all sorts of stuff for the house and garden, so I will miss it if it goes.
This will be the second locally popular medium-size chain-store shop in my market town which has gone into Administration this year. The last one was a clothes shop called M&Co.
I used to shop in them both regularly.
When M&Co were in the process of closing down, then went through a period of not knowing whether they would be rescued by a buy-out or not, I felt so sorry for the staff - they were trying to be positive and continue their usual great customer service right up to the end but I could see they struggled to hold back the tears sometimes.
I expect the staff in Wilko must be feeling the same now.
I was in there today but I didn’t get to talk to any of staff. They didn’t have the type of battery I was looking for so I didn’t buy anything.
I think all the M&Co shops have closed down now.
The company went into Administration, then another company called AK Retail Holdings bought the company but I think they were only interested in the Online business.
I think they have now closed all the retail shops now and only sell online.
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Cripes! Wilko is or rather was one of my favourite go-to shops for most things domestic. That will be one big loss to my town without any obvious replacement shop to visit for homeware type browsing.
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yes i think every town has one . a bit like the old Hardware shops.You can buy anything .
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It looks like just B&Q then…
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I find it rather strange as we have one very local to us and it is always busy.
We have purchased many many things from them.
Sad really.
But i bet those at the top have or will have a good payout.
I was wondering about redundancy money, would anyone get any if they have gone bust …
12.000 staff we talking a lot of money to pay out .
I was just thinking of how they have managed to keep their business model afloat when I was there a couple of weeks ago. So this news was not a surprise. They don’t really have anything special you can’t buy in a supermarket or DIY shop. There is nothing to differentiate them from shops which have far more economies of scale and can afford to source and sell cheaper.
I think the staff are covered by the government Eliza. When I was made redundant the government stepped in to pay the correct severance pay, and redundancy pay. Up to a maximum of 16 weeks I think it was. The redundancy is tax free but not the severance pay.
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My local store was always packed and there have been times it felt too crowded to browse properly.
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Yep, same here. And there were things you could buy that only appeared in B&Q several miles away from me. Handy if you needed something quickly.
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Seems it needs £70m to rescue it! Eeeek.
I’ve always been a fan of Wilco. I was always hoping they’d open one up in Eastleigh when I moved here 6 years ago. The nearest is in Southampton five miles away. I know you can get most stuff online, but it was always a pleasure to have a look round at Wilco. Who’s next to hit the dirt one wonders? 
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Wilko’s a bit of a funny one in that you could pick up some bits and pieces under one roof so to speak, no high expectations You’d take your chance, I’m going to miss Wilko, B&Q joyless unless you have a bit of a DIY fetish .
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The only wilko I know, in Kensington High Street, is quite small. Used to go for Old Spice Deodorant and I can’t remember what.
B&Q is a different kettle 'o fish, a million times bigger, you need a car to get their and you get things for the garden, mainly, plants and fake soil in a bag. I once bought kitchen floorboards there.
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You have a Wilko in Kensington?
Pound shops in Sloane Square here we come … whatever next I ask.
So called £Shops are never far away, people love them, even when you are paying a lot more than a £ for something you can get cheaper on Amazon. Funny old world. American tourists hang around asking about an old punk called @Chilliboot I just have to shrug.
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Sloane Square used to be somewhere a little bit special.
There used to a lovely branch of WH Smith , some of the kids from my school would endeavour to help themselves to packs of tarot cards, the headmaster found out!
.
Shrugging is very rude… I’m glad I’m no longer a Londoner or a punk 