Wilko is set to make a swift return to the high street following the recent closure of the collapsed homeware chain鈥檚 last shop.
Budget retailer The Range, which last month secured a deal to buy Wilko's brand, website and intellectual property after it fell into administration, has announced it is planning a national roll-out of new standalone Wilko stores across the country.
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The parent firm of The Range, Devon-headquartered CDS Superstores, said the first two 鈥渃oncept鈥 outlets would be open before Christmas and based in Exeter and Plymouth, closely followed by two locations in the South East and one in the North to be announced imminently.
Bosses said the company would endeavour to give former Wilko employees priority when recruiting for the new stores, with both new and previous Wilko sites under consideration.
A spokesperson for the firm said an 鈥渁ggressive鈥 national rollout would continue next year and include the first Wilko stores to open in Northern Ireland.
CDS Superstores chief executive Alex Simpkin said: 鈥淭he public reaction to the loss of Wilko stores was undeniable. It鈥檚 clear that there鈥檚 a huge love for Wilko and we鈥檝e seen an encouraging demand for the return of its own-brand products. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e taken the decision to reintroduce Wilko back to many of the high streets and communities that it used to so proudly serve.
鈥淥ur team from Wilko that joined us through the acquisition has shown true resilience, they鈥檝e set to work to integrate the best parts of Wilko into The Range鈥檚 operational systems. We鈥檙e expanding that team every day with new Wilko hires and can鈥檛 wait to extend that back out to local communities.鈥
The announcement on Friday (October 27) came as Wilko branded products went on sale at The Range鈥檚 network of stores across the country and on its website.
Wilko was originally founded by James Kemsey Wilkinson in Leicester in 1930. The family-owned business employed 12,500 staff and ran 400 shops before it hired administrators early this year after it came under pressure from weak consumer spending and debts to suppliers.
