Metropol

51 stores going to B&M, 52 closing outright... that would leave about 300, which I guess is what Putman intends to take on?

North Shields is an odd store. It's the former Safeway in The Beacon Centre (covered town centre disguised as a mall).

The cafe had stayed the same since Safeway closed in about 1994 (when they put their focus on the larger Whitley Bay branch) and there are several small sublet units (cobbler etc) that are only accessible via the store.

The only access to the car park from within the centre is through the store too, which I suspect will lead to one of those sealed off with plastic barriers scenarios.

Pete wrote: Wed 06 Sep, 2023 11.49 North Shields is an odd store. It's the former Safeway in The Beacon Centre (covered town centre disguised as a mall).

The cafe had stayed the same since Safeway closed in about 1994 (when they put their focus on the larger Whitley Bay branch) and there are several small sublet units (cobbler etc) that are only accessible via the store.

The only access to the car park from within the centre is through the store too, which I suspect will lead to one of those sealed off with plastic barriers scenarios.

Not surprised to see it go though, not sure if you've been in recent years but they abandoned half the store aswell and put a fake wall using shelves where it used to curve at the back for the DIY. Made it a pretty bizarre store as it was only 3/4 high the shelving so it blatently obvious what they done.

The new'ish Silverlink store killed it.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with the cafe's as they're supposedly independently ran and from someone talking on another forum, based at the Sunderland store, will be in big trouble if Wilko goes completely as the vast majority of their cafe's are inside Wilko stores.

Zimba wrote: Wed 06 Sep, 2023 12.19The new'ish Silverlink store killed it.

ish being key there, the upstairs that had been installed for when it was Next never seemed to be strong enough for the shelving and stock and the lift was wholly unsuitable.

I wonder if Hammersmith closing is down to lease issues rather than poor sales? It's in the King's Mall in Hammersmith, so has prime footfall to the tube stations.

Martin Phillp wrote: Wed 06 Sep, 2023 15.58 I wonder if Hammersmith closing is down to lease issues rather than poor sales? It's in the King's Mall in Hammersmith, so has prime footfall to the tube stations.

I presume it's simply because the financials don't work for any of the bidders, too prime perhaps.

I suspect Walsall is the opposite problem, absolute abundance of space in that town available so doesn't make sense to buy out a lease.

Whilst questions as to the logic as to how some stores survived this initial closure but others didn't will depend on factors maybe not immediately obvious, the particular 5 they've closed in the pointy bit of the country are nevertheless...a bit questionable.

Avonmeads, Bristol - unlike much of the estate, a store in an out of town retail park. The sort of thing many bricks & mortar retailers are looking to move to. The sort of format Wilko was accused of not doing enough off. The entire rest of the estate in Bristol, including some pretty shonky stores in run down suburban high streets which are already dying, survived.

Weston-super-Mare. Anchor tenant in an in town shopping centre only refurbished last year. Only store in Somerset to close. In Somerset's largest town.

Falmouth, Truro, St. Austell. Closing any 1 of the 4 stores in Cornwall, possibly understandable. Closing the lot, that too. Closing 3 but keeping 1? Weird. The survivor (Redruth) is in a town which has been on its arse since 1993. It's also now 60 miles away from the next nearest store and not on the way to anywhere else, which puts it rather out on a limb which could be difficult and expensive to support and hardly seems to fit in with what will likely be a leaner model going forward.

WillPS wrote: Wed 06 Sep, 2023 16.19

Martin Phillp wrote: Wed 06 Sep, 2023 15.58 I wonder if Hammersmith closing is down to lease issues rather than poor sales? It's in the King's Mall in Hammersmith, so has prime footfall to the tube stations.

I presume it's simply because the financials don't work for any of the bidders, too prime perhaps.

I suspect Walsall is the opposite problem, absolute abundance of space in that town available so doesn't make sense to buy out a lease.

Prime but maybe not prime enough considering they're keeping the store on Kensington High Street which I think is the only Wilko in central London?

Martin Phillp wrote: Wed 06 Sep, 2023 17.13

WillPS wrote: Wed 06 Sep, 2023 16.19

Martin Phillp wrote: Wed 06 Sep, 2023 15.58 I wonder if Hammersmith closing is down to lease issues rather than poor sales? It's in the King's Mall in Hammersmith, so has prime footfall to the tube stations.

I presume it's simply because the financials don't work for any of the bidders, too prime perhaps.

I suspect Walsall is the opposite problem, absolute abundance of space in that town available so doesn't make sense to buy out a lease.

Prime but maybe not prime enough considering they're keeping the store on Kensington High Street which I think is the only Wilko in central London?

Who knows really. If the administrators haven't shut it my only guess is one of more of Putman, Home Bargains, Poundland or The Range want it.

There's quite a few stores on the list which opened around 2016 - 19 so maybe it's more to do with bad leases on newer stores. Believe Hammersmith, Acton and the few out of town stores mentioned are all that era.

Other than that it's rump stores in mostly bad places. There's a few I'm genuinely baffled how they've surprised mind.

Not sure if it's been mentioned on here but it the cafes are independent aswell as the North Shields one is currently trying to flog the furniture off on Facebook and has confirmed they're getting the boot because of it.

Zimba wrote: Wed 06 Sep, 2023 21.36Not sure if it's been mentioned on here but it the cafes are independent aswell as the North Shields one is currently trying to flog the furniture off on Facebook and has confirmed they're getting the boot because of it.

interesting that Wilco are the landlord for them, I'd have thought, given the car park access / other concessions mentioned, they'd be directly leased from the centre.