all Wilko stores to close, 9,100 additional layoffs

All stores in the Bankrupt British chain Wilko will close by the beginning of October, which will translate into “9,100 additional layoffs», Indicated Monday the consulting firm PwC, administrator of the bankruptcy. He explains in a press release that he “explored all possibilities to save the company» but that it is «become clear that there is no significant part of Wilko’s operations that can be significant in its current form“.

These closures and layoffs had become increasingly likely since the failure of the attempt to partially take over the British chain by investor Doug Putnam. “We are very disappointed that we cannot continue the Wilko purchasing process after working with the bankruptcy administrators and suppliers for several weeks», Commented Doug Putnam, owner of the HMV music store chain in a statement.

Bankruptcy filing at the beginning of August

In recent weeks, administrators had already announced more than 1,600 layoffs and the closure of 52 stores, out of 400 sites that the brand had before its bankruptcy. A Wilko competitor, B&M, has taken over up to 51 stores, without specifying how many employees will keep their jobs.

Wilko filed for bankruptcy in early August, hit by the cost of living crisis and inflation in the United Kingdom. The red-and-white logo brand began life as a hardware store in the central Leicester city of Leicester in the 1930s before quickly expanding across the UK, widening its range of products. which now ranges from interior decoration to household products, among others.