Administrators have today named 52 Wilko stores which are due for closure due to the chain’s collapse – but Southport’s store is not among them.
The shop, in the concourse at Southport Train Station, faces an uncertain future as an administration sale inside continues.
Administrators PwC said 26 shops would close next Tuesday, with a further 28 to shut on Thursday 14th September.
More than 1,000 staff are being made redundant as hopes of a rescue deal for the business hang in the balance.
Edward Williams, joint administrator at PwC, said in the “absence of viable offers” for the whole company, closures and job losses were “necessary”.
Yesterday, discount chain B&M agreed to buy 51 Wilko shops in a deal worth £13m.
The shops included in the deal have not yet been named.
Wilko fell into administration in August as it struggled with sharp losses and a cash shortage.
It is understood that a deal tabled by HMV’s owner has stalled.
The Wilko store in the Southport Train Station concourse in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Wilko was founded in 1930 and by the 1990s became one of Britain’s fastest-growing retailers.
But the discount chain has faced strong competition from rivals including Poundland, B&M and Home Bargains, as the high cost of living has pushed shoppers to seek out bargains.
Administrators say the following stores will close on Tuesday 12th September:
Acton, Aldershot, Barking, Bishop Auckland, Bletchley FF, Brownhills, Camberley, Cardiff Bay Retail Park, Falmouth, Harpurhey, Irvine, Liverpool Edge Lane, Llandudno, Lowestoft, Morley, Nelson, Port Talbot, Putney, Stafford, Tunbridge Wells, Wakefield, Weston-super-Mare, Westwood Cross, Winsford.
The following stores will close on Thursday 14th September:
Ashford, Avonmeads, Banbury, Barrow in Furness, Basildon, Belle Vale, Burnley (Relocation), Clydebank, Cortonwood, Dagenham, Dewsbury, Eccles, Folkestone, Great Yarmouth, Hammersmith, Huddersfield, Morriston, New Malden, North Shields, Queen Street Cardiff, Rhyl, Southampton-West Quay, St Austell, Stockport, Truro, Uttoxeter, Walsall, Woking
The Wilko store in the Southport Train Station concourse in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
The administrators running Wilko have warned that further stores could close, a day after announcing that more than 1,300 jobs are being cut.
PwC says “it is possible that further store closures may regrettably be necessary”, as discussions with parties interested in buying parts of the business continue.
Affected staff were due to be told by 10am today if their stores were affected, and expected to keep working for two days after their store closes.
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