Poundland owner Pepco Group has agreed to buy up to 71 Wilko stores, joint administrators for the retailer said.
The sites will reopen as Poundland, with the retailer aiming to open the stores by the end of this year.
Edward Williams, joint administrator, said: “Alongside the previously announced agreement with B&M, we’re confident this sale will create a platform for future employment opportunities for people including current wilko team members at up to 122 locations.
"We will continue to engage with other retailers around any interest in other wilko sites and are confident of completing a sale of the brand and intellectual property within the coming days.”
Managing director Barry Williams said: “In the coming weeks we will work quickly with landlords so we can open these stores as Poundland’s with the new ranges that have been pivotal to our recent development.
“Once that process is complete, we will ensure a significant number of the Wilko colleagues will join our Poundland team.
“We recognise the last few weeks have been difficult for them and we will move quickly to secure new consents from landlords so we can offer them the certainty they deserve.”
Poundland owner Pepco will buy 71 Wilko stores
PA
Full list of 71 Wilko stores to be bought by Poundland owner Pepco
- Aberdare
- Alfreton
- Alnwick
- Altrincham
- Ammanford
- Ashby
- Barking
- Bedminster
- Beeston
- Bicester
- Bishop Stortford
- Bletchley
- Bolton
- Brentwood
- Brigg
- Cambridge
- Chepstow
- Coalville
- Cramlington
- Droitwich
- Eccles
- Edmonton Green
- Ellesmere Port
- Ferndown
- Gateshead
- Grays
- Greenock
- Grimsby
- Havant
- Hayes
- Headingley
- Hessle Road - Hull
- Hillsborough
- Hitchin
- Jarrow
- Killingworth
- Kimberley
- Lee Circle
- Leek
- Leigh
- Lichfield
- Maidenhead
- Matlock
- Melton Mowbray
- Nelson
- Northallerton
- Orton
- Pembroke Dock
- Peterlee
- Pontefract
- Pontypool
- Redhill
- Redruth
- Ripley
- Rugeley
- Sale
- Seaham
- Selly Oak
- Shrewsbury Darwin Centre
- South Shields
- Southport
- Stafford
- Stamford
- Stockport
- Thornaby
- Wellington
- Wembley
- West Ealing
- Wombwell
- Worcester
- Worksop.
Wilko workers at these stores won't be transferred directly in the deal but Poundland has said it will "prioritise" existing Wilko workers for roles when the shops are opened under the Poundland brand.
Poundland said the new lease agreements are set to be completed in "early autumn", aiming to open the shops by the end of this year.
B&M has agreed to buy 51 Wilko stores, with these sites expected to reopen under the B&M brand.
The 71 stores included in the agreement with Pepco and the 51 stores included in the agreement with B&M currently employ more than 3,200 Wilko team members in total.
PwC, administrators for Wilko, yesterday confirmed all of Wilko's remaining store, warehouse and support centre workers are set to be made redundant after failing to secure a rescue deal.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Wilko store closures begin today
PA
Wilko employed 12,500 staff and ran 400 stores before it collapsed into administration last month.
Store closures will begin today, with 24 Wilko shops shutting their doors for good.
Wilko administrators have announced the full list of 176 stores closing this month.
The closure dates of the remaining 222 stores will be announced in due course, with all sites anticipated to have closed by early October.
