Lincoln shoppers ‘heartbroken’ over Wilko going into administration
Shoppers in Lincoln[1] say it would be a real shame to see Wilko leave the high street as the 90-year-old retailer’s future looks bleak. Thousands of jobs are at risk with a ‘Wilko administration sale’ and bare shelves in stores across the UK as talks reportedly continue to strike a deal to save parts of the hardware shop.
Lincoln’s Wilko[2] has served shoppers in the city for years as it sits in a prominent position in Waterside South. The building was previously home to C&A clothes shop before the retailer closed in 2001.
Jeffrey Stuart, 67, who has lived in Lincoln for 16 years and shops[3] in Wilko about twice a week, said: “It has been here for a long time and it’s cheap in there. I went in today and got a new lampshade and Christmas lights because they were only £4.
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“It’s going to be a shame if it closes. Everybody walks past here and knows it’s here. It’s easy to get to because you get on the bus and go into town.”
Jeffrey Stuart, 67, who has lived in Lincoln for 16 years (Image: Eleanor Maslin/Lincolnshire Echo)
Cas Potterton, 22, said: “I am genuinely heartbroken about it closing. I have just finished university and it’s where I got everything. I come out to shop for other stuff and Wilko is always here.”
Louise Parkin, 56, who is Lincoln born and bred, said: “It’s a shame the staff are probably going to lose their jobs, I feel for them. We got to know them personally.
“It’s a big loss and there are a lot of shops that are empty now in the city. I don’t want Lincoln to become a ghost town.”
Susie Duggan, 57, who has lived in Lincoln for 38 years, said: “I’m going to miss it if it goes.” Redundancies at Wilko’s Worksop and Newport warehouses are due to start early this week but there are still hopes that the administrators, who work for PwC, will be able to strike a deal to save thousands of jobs.
There are reportedly talks with a group of people who could potentially save the retailer, led by Doug Putman, who is the Canadian businessman who took over HMV in 2019. If a deal is successful, it could save around 300 of Wilko’s 400 shops and 8,000 of the 12,500 jobs.