WILKOME BACK
Full list of Wilko shops mapped as beloved discounter returns to another high street today – and has plans for 300 more
Plus, the other high street stores which have made a comeback
BELOVED homeware chain Wilko is back on the high street having closed 400 stores last year after going into administration.
Brits were heartbroken when beloved Wilko announced it would be closing all of its shops back in October 2023.
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But almost a year later, Wilko is making a comeback, launching new stores across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Today, Wilko opened it's new store in Poole in the Dolphin Centre, which is spread over 23,500 square feet and includes an Iceland concession.
There was a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the chain's sixth store, and the first 50 shoppers in the queue received prizes and goody bags.
The store will offer customers all the essentials across home and garden, as well as the usual value Wilko own-brand products, alongside popular named brands.
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Among the items back on offer are popular favourites like the iconic Wilko paint, which is available in a variety of colours and finishes.
Chris Dawson, owner of Wilko, is said to be targeting 300 stores over the next five years, and said that all the new shops so far are making a profit.
He bought Wilko out of administration last October, and , said it was "all systems go" for the retailer at the moment.
The retail entrepreneur, who also owns discounter The Range, said he expects to open approximately 40 Wilko shops a year.
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He admitted: "We got the product mix wrong the first two times...and now we've got it right."
He explained that "we didn't have enough essentials", adding: "Wilko was extremely famous for health and beauty, cleaning and toiletries, and your sorts of bits and bobs DIY - you're not expecting a full garden set."
Alex Simpkin, chief executive of CDS Superstores, trading as The Range and Wilko, previously told The Sun: "We’re in discussions with a huge number of landlords regarding sites.
"Yes, it’s important for us to open stores but they have to be the right locations. Regardless of whether we’re looking at old Wilko locations or considering new ones, we have to make sure we’ve secured the right space and rents to make them work."
New locations are said to be being "cherry-picked" from the biggest UK high streets.
Some will be in former Wilko site locations but others will be brand new sites, better suited to the brand, The Sun understands.
Here is the full list of Wilko stores on high streets
- Unit A, Armada Centre, Mayflower Street, Plymouth - opened December 1, 2023
- Unit 100, Guildhall Shopping Centre, Exeter - opened December 1, 2023
- 141/147 Arndale Centre, Luton - opened December 8, 2023
- St Albans, (The Maltings) - opened March 29
- Rotherham (Parkgate Shopping Park) - opened March 29
- Dolphin Centre in Poole - opened August 16
What other retailers have made a comeback?
It has been a tough time for retailers since Covid and the last few years have seen many vanish from our high streets.
The rising cost of living and expensive rents have all been playing a part in the demise of some of our much-loved high street names.
This week saw the return of the beloved record chain Our Price.
The record store was once a staple of the UK high street from the early 1970s until 2004.
The first store was on London's Finchley Road, and the brand had as many as 300 branches at its peak, making it one of the biggest music store chains in the UK.
Last week Our Price revealed it would be making a return as music lovers will once again be able to buy thousands of vinyls and other merch.
Shoppers can browse the catalogue online for now only, owners have not ruled out the return to physical stores at some point in the future.
Toys R Us is also among those which has managed to make a comeback.
The popular toy brand opened up nine new shops in 2023 after vanishing from the high street in 2018.
However, the new stores are slightly different as they are "shop-in-shops" and are located inside WHSmith stores.
Toys R Us will be opening 30 new shops across the UK this summer following the successful opening of almost a dozen stores last year.
In October last year, Paperchase also made a return after closing all of its 134 shops and concessions earlier in the year.
Retailers opening stores
IT'S not all bad news on the high street as several retailers are bucking the trend and opening shops.
- German discounter Aldi has announced it will open 35 new UK stores this year. The openings form part of Aldi's long-term target of operating 1,500 stores in the UK.
- Asda has been opening hundreds of convenience stores as it looks to rival major players Tesco and Sainsbury's.
- Purepay Retail Limited , the parent company of Bonmarché, Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) and Peacocks, Purepay Retail Limited, has said it wants to open 100 new high street stores over the next 18 months.
- Home Bargains has said it wants to "eventually have between 800 and 1,000 retail outlets open".
- Primark is also opening new branches and investing and renovating more than a dozen of its existing shops.
- Screwfix is set to open 40 new stores nationwide as its owner, Kingfisher, seeks to expand the DIY brand's national presence.
- Tesco has revealed plans to open 70 more stores across the UK over the next year as part of major expansion plans.
- WHSmith has turned its focus to the travel side of its business, with plans to open new sites in airports, railway stations and hospitals.
Fans of the brand were devastated when the retailer disappeared from the high street in April after falling into administration.
However, supermarket giant Tesco stepped in and bought the rights to the brand and then went on to launch it in some of its stores.
A total of 261 Tesco stores now stock Paperchase products - we have the full list here.
M&Co, previously called Mackay’s, fell into administration for the second time in two years in December 2022.
Fellow retailer Yours Clothing bought the M&Co brand and intellectual property.
The retailer launched a new M&Co website in June 2023 and The Sun exclusively revealed its plans to open up physical stores starting in May 2024.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Meanwhile, we also visited the new Toys R Us shops when they first reopened.
Plus, have a look inside an iconic fast food chain’s training centre with a fake restaurant simulator.
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