Wilko

[Cider Boys]

Shame to hear about Wilko, I used to love popping into my local Wilko to buy seeds, onion sets etc. and they were always good value. It used to make me feel optimistic that spring was coming and I could get planting and sowing. I do hope that it can continue to trade under a new buyer.

Barney

[Primrose]

I think it,s a shame these "cheaper end" outlets are suffering. I imagine many people managed to garden very satisfactorarily and cheaply on their seed packet offerings. The price of many seed packets in garden centres is prohibitive now, especially for those with tiny growing areas where many seeds in an expensive packet could get wasted.

[Westi]

I'm surprised by Wilko's difficulty as the High Streets are dying, but maybe the greedy owners of the retail premises had them locked into some long term agreement? Fools who own these premises would be wise to work with them to save them both! My High St. is an example of their greed, but suddenly another charity shop... now surely they rent at an even lower price than can be obtained from an established outlet that serves a community with goods they want & need; kind of a win/win.

Just out of interest where did Wilko originate? You can id the European ones as basically same products & packaging with just a little tweak, but stuff in Wilko is different altogether?

[robo]

I found their garden tools to be very good quality I’ve a rake and fork still going after 12 years and a hoe

[tigerburnie]

Just out of interest where did Wilko originate? You can id the European ones as basically same products & packaging with just a little tweak, but stuff in Wilko is different altogether?

Wilkinson's is a firm from Leicester, I remember their early shops from my yoof, it would seem they are hopeful of finding a buyer and all job losses are on hold at the moment, so hopeful it can be saved. I don't have a branch near me, there's only a handful in Scotland, but I have bought on line, they even posted me two huge water butts and bases.

[Geoff]

I always thought they would be more successful out of town rather than on high streets for the sort of things they sell.

[Cider Boys]

Wilkinson's in my area have been going for over 80 years, I think they first started in the 1930s and most of their products are of good quality especially their more expensive roofing felts that contain glass fibre, they last for decades. I think they had a 25 year guarantee and mine have been on for over 30 years with no deterioration. Their onion sets, seed potatoes and seeds are cheap and grow better than more expensive packaged ones and I hope Wilko can survive with little change to their products or service.

Barney (A Wilko Fan)

[Westi]

Just been on the news the first attempt to save Wilko has fallen through but some Canadian firm is now interested in buying 300 branches. Fingers crossed for them.

[Primrose]

Agree. The thought of redundancy in the current financial environment must be so worrying.

[Stravaig]

There are so many customers who like Wilko and are disappointed by its imminent closure (me too!). I wondered why they didn't make a share offering to the general public to buy shares. They could at least put out some feelers and assess the potential demand for such shares.

Times are bad enough with Covid and the cost of living crisis. The housing market is also a big mess. All this is bad enough but add the expectation of losing your job and it must be a nightmare for those involved.

[Stravaig]

In the news today. All 400 stores to close and 12,000 jobs lost. How can this be a good way to run a country?

I'm disgusted.

And all these people turfed out of their jobs, probably having to go on benefits, on the poverty line, having to use food banks. It sure as heck doesn't make me proud to be British. Why can no one sort this out and why do the British keep voting in millionaires or idiots?

(I don't appreciate being chastised for having an opinion so please don't bother.)

[Westi]

I was disappointed hearing this on the news. I don't quite understand what they were inferring on BBC regarding the 300 shops potentially being saved but now can't due to something. They then went on a bit about the prices they charged in a negative way which I have never found, they aren't the £ Shop, but way cheaper & better quality than lots of big boy stores, especially their garden products & sundries.

[Colin2016]

"why do the British keep voting in millionaires or idiots?"

There is no alternative.

[Stravaig]

Colin, you made me laugh - even though it's not a funny joke. People with good brains wouldn't thank you for the job. But a self-serving millionaire would jump at it.

I didn't win the lottery again yesterday. To be fair, we're OK, but I just want to escape from this current scenario.

Are we heading for WW3? I read earlier today that Kim Jung-wotsit is planning to send a train of weapons to help the Russians fight the Ukrainians.

[Westi]

The Wilko saga continues & now the £ Shop is buying some of the stores, not many, but prioritising Wilko staff to work in them. I go to a different £ shop now as have 2 roughly the same distance from me, one in the High Street & one in a small mixed retail site which I use more as actually more choice with the other shops than the High St., like clothing & home wares.

But I do go down to the High St every couple of months as excellent 2nd hand / charity shops with some really good stuff & occasionally old cook books. I pop into the £ shop which is not as big as the other one, but seems to have a bigger range as only a small amount of chilled or frozen food. The staff rotate between them and help to cover sickness between both so I know a few of them, & they all rate the £ Shop to work for; wages, shifts & conditions are good they say compared to other places they have worked.