Three of the first five new Wilko stores will open at shopping centres in Plymouth, Exeter and Luton, the collapsed retailer’s new owner The Range announced today.
The first two Wilko shops will open in exactly four weeks’ time on December 1 at the Armada Centre in Plymouth and the Guildhall Shopping Centre in Exeter.
A third will then follow at the Arndale Centre in Luton one week later on December 8 – before another two in as-yet unconfirmed locations open before Christmas.
These are the exact locations and opening dates of the first three new Wilko stores:
- Plymouth – Unit A, Armada Centre, Mayflower Street, PL1 1QL – December 1
- Exeter – Unit 100, Guildhall Shopping Centre, EX4 3HP – December 1
- Luton – 141/147 Arndale Centre, LU1 2TN – December 8
The update follows confirmation last week that five new Wilko ‘concept stores’ would be opened before Christmas. It said the ‘final two locations will be announced soon’.
A family look inside the Wilko store in Wood Green, North London, which closed on October 8
The brand’s new owner CDS Superstores, which also owns The Range, said Wilko plans to recruit up to 80 local staff per store, with ex-Wilko employees prioritised for interviews.
Each of the new stores will stock Wilko products as well as major brands, and there will be self-service terminals for shoppers to browse and order from the 100,000 items available via the Wilko.com website which was relaunched last month.
CDS Superstores chief executive Alex Simpkin said today: ‘It’s clear that there’s a huge love for Wilko and we’re proud to confirm we’ll be re-introducing the brand to high streets in Plymouth, Exeter and Luton in the coming weeks.
‘We’re also glad to be bringing employment opportunities to these towns and for helping local families and communities have easy access to all the everyday home and garden items they need once again.
‘This initial rollout is only the beginning for our plans for revitalising the Wilko brand on the nation’s high streets and retail parks, and we’ll be announcing further store launches and re-openings throughout 2024.’
The company added that its property team was ‘encouraging landlords across the UK to open productive conversations if they’re interested in being considered for the Wilko rollout programme’.
Those interested in working at the new Wilko stores can apply by clicking here
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
