Five Wilko stores will reopen before Christmas under a plan from CDS Superstores, which bought the retailer’s name and website after it collapsed. The new stores will be based in locations such as Plymouth and Exeter, and offer a total of 80 jobs each, with former Wilko workers set to be prioritised for the roles. More than 12,000 people were made redundant when the company went under, and many of those affected have struggled to find new work. CDS Superstores also plans to launch a customer and distribution centre in Tamworth.
One of those affected, Lisa Swan, expressed her disillusionment with the level of support offered to former Wilko employees. “It’s like those 24 years of loyalty didn’t mean anything,” she said. Matt Jonas, who lost his job at the retailer after five years of service, has said that the lack of opportunities in physical retail has left him disillusioned. “Poundworld, where I used to work, is still an empty building five years after I was made redundant there,” he said.
By contrast, Sarah Curtis was offered a job with a former employer after being denied redundancy pay because she had not been with the company long enough. Despite saying that seeing the empty Wilko store made her cry at first, she expressed gratitude for the confidence her experience there had given her.
CDS Superstores already owns another retailer, The Range. Wilko is still trading online, with orders being fulfilled by CDS Superstores
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