Which Wilko stores are closing? Full list of 16 UK branches due to close this year

Wilko is planning to close 16 of its stores across the UK this year, the company has announced.

The retailer said the affected stores will close as their leases end and “favourable terms” cannot be agreed.

The closures will not affect any of its new openings or its stores relocation programme, it has been confirmed.

Jerome Saint-Marc, Wilko’s chief executive said: “Our history is steeped in serving our customers and communities going back to 1930, but there’s no denying the way people shop with us and where they want to shop with us is changing.

“As a business we’re evolving and this includes working with landlords for more favourable terms, as well as looking at locations and store formats.

“We’ll continue to pull together to make our business better to secure the future of over 16,000 team members.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to support our affected team members who will be offered any available positions in nearby stores.

“We apologise to those communities where stores are closing but will continue to offer them everything they need in nearby stores or via wilko.com.”

Which stores are closing?

The following 15 Wilko stores are due to close this year:

February

• Shipley
• Bournemouth 
• Stockton
• The Fort, Birmingham

March

• Scunthorpe

May

• Grantham 
• Redditch 

June

• Rotherham
• Skegness 
• Sutton Coldfield

August

• Llanelli 

September

• Merthyr Tydfil 

October

• Cleethorpes

The retailer said 11 of the 15 stores have an alternative Wilko within five miles.

‘Another nail in the coffin’

The GMB union said the closures mark “another nail in the High Street’s coffin”, and warned that hundreds of jobs could be lost as a result.

The union has now called on landlords to review commercial leases and to offer more affordable rent prices.

Roger Jenkins, GMB national officer, said: “These closures are devastating for Wilko workers and the communities who use them.

“It’s yet another nail in the High Street’s coffin and GMB calls on councils and landlords to review commercial leases and offer lower rents.

“Empty high streets and shopping centres are in no one’s interest and with 400 shops a week closing, this is inevitable, unless the costs of premises can be reduced.

“GMB will now meet with Wilko members to discuss our next steps.”

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.