Wilko: Five shops set to return to High Street before Christmas, new owner announced

Wilko stores are set to return to the High Street before Christmas, the brand’s new owner has announced. The parent company of The Range, which also snapped up Wilko’s website and intellectual property following the discount chain’s administration, said it will open five shops before Christmas.

The announcement comes just weeks after Wilko shut the final stores from the collapse of its 400-strong estate across the UK, leading to the redundancy of almost all its 12,500 workers.

Alex Simpkin, chief executive officer of CDS Superstores, said: “The public reaction to the loss of Wilko stores was undeniable. It’s clear that there’s a huge love for Wilko and we’ve seen an encouraging demand for the return of its own-brand products.

"That’s why we’ve taken the decision to reintroduce Wilko back to many of the high streets and communities that it used to so proudly serve.”

The owner said they will be "concept" stores, followed by two locations in the South-East of England and one in the North of England, which are expected to be announced soon. It is also planning to open Wilko-branded shops in Northern Ireland for the first time.