Wilko

Wilko (and wilko.com) is a retail chain owned by The Range since 2023, prior to which it was owned by Wilko Limited, founded in the United Kingdom in 1930.

The retail chain Wilko Limited (formerly Wilkinson Cash Stores Limited, Wilkinson Hardware Stores Limited, and Wilko Retail Limited ) was founded in Leicester by James Kemsey Wilkinson in 1930, and remained in the ownership of the founding family before it went into administration. The chain entered administration in August 2023 after being faced with financial and supply issues for some time, which put 12,500 jobs at risk.

The Range acquired the Wilko brand, website and intellectual property the following month. The final stores under the previous ownership closed on 8 October 2023. Wilko was relaunched as an online store and a brand of The Range on 12 October 2023.

History


The first Wilkinson store was opened by James Kemsey Wilkinson and his fiancee Mary Cooper at 151 Charnwood Street, Leicester in 1930, and a second store was opened in Wigston Magna, near Leicester, in 1932. Nine branches were opened by 1939.

The Beaconsfield store can be seen in the background of a scene in the film Brief Encounter (1945). By the end of the 1980s, the chain had 78 stores, increasing to over 152 by the end of the 1990s.

The founder's son, Tony Wilkinson, joined the company as a branch manager in 1960 and succeeded his father as chairman in 1972, retiring in June 2005. Tony was succeeded by his daughter, Lisa Wilkinson, and his niece, Karin Swann.

Wilkinson opened its first Scottish outlet in Castle Douglas in January 2009.

In 2012, Wilkinson began rebranding its stores as Wilko, after its own brand products already marketed under the Wilko name, and by 2014, most stores had been rebranded. Prior to the rebranding, the abbreviation Wilko had been commonly used as an informal reference to the brand.

In 2014, Karin Swann sold her 50% holding in the business to Lisa, leaving Tony, his wife Christine and Lisa the sole owners of the company, and Lisa the chairman. Swann wanted to pursue other business interests and the decision did not represent a falling-out of the family.

In August 2017, Wilko began negotiations with the GMB trade union over the company's plan to cut 4,000 jobs. The board paid the family owners a £3 million dividend.

In March 2018, Wilko began to sell 285 of its own brand products in Dubai through Ace Hardware, marking the first time that Wilko had sold through another retailer.

In June 2020, Warpaint London, a cosmetics company, signed a deal with Wilko to sell their products in UK shops.

In January 2022, Wilko announced the closure of 15 stores with costly long leases. Wilko paid its owners, led by the Wilkinson family, a £3 million dividend again.

Administration and closure
In January 2023, Wilko confirmed it had borrowed £40 million from the restructuring firm Hilco Capital. It followed this in February with plans to cut up to 400 jobs.

On 3 August 2023, Wilko announced its intention to appoint administrators as it was seeking a buyer following a period of difficult trading conditions. The company entered administration on 10 August. CEO Mark Jackson said management would work with administrators PwC to "preserve as many jobs as possible". A deadline for offers to acquire the business was set for 16 August 2023.







Wilko collapsed with the loss of over 12,000 jobs, £625 million in debt and a £50 million pension deficit. During the administration process, it was reported that its owners had taken £77 million out of the company in the preceding decade.

In September 2023, B&M bought 51 Wilko stores for £13 million. Poundland acquired 71 Wilko stores and stated it would prioritise the recruitment of former Wilko staff. An attempt by Canadian businessman Doug Putman to acquire 100 Wilko stores, slimmed down from a deal to acquire 300 stores, collapsed in the same month. The Range acquired the Wilko brand, website and intellectual property for £7 million. 36 workers from Wilko's digital team transferred over to The Range as part of the deal. The final stores under the previous ownership closed on 8 October 2023.

Post-administration
The Wilko website was relaunched by The Range on 12 October 2023 and resumed home delivery. The Range started stocking Wilko brand products in its stores from 27 October 2023. Three stores in Plymouth, Exeter, and Luton were opened in December 2023. Two stores in Rotherham and St Albans were opened in spring 2024.

Distribution
The company awarded a five-year logistics contract to Wincanton plc in March 2017, replacing Canute Haulage Group after 29 years.

In September 2019, the GMB union announced that its members would strike over a new weekend working proposal at the distribution centres. The strikes planned for four dates in October 2019 were called off after an improved offer was made by Wilko.

Following the departure of Wilko, Canute Haulage Group entered administration in 2018 and was liquidated in 2019.

Financial performance
Turnover for the year ending February 2022 was in excess of £1.2 billion.