Wilko returns to another high street before Christmas – see the full list of locations and if there’s one near you
BELOVED homeware chain Wilko is back on the high street having closed 400 stores last year after going into administration.
Wilko has confirmed that its Uxbridge store will open its doors to customers at 9am on 22nd November – right in time for Christmas.
Beloved homeware chain Wilko is back on the high street[/caption]Brits were heartbroken when beloved Wilko announced it would be closing all of its shops back in October 2023.
But almost a year later, Wilko is making a comeback, launching new stores across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Uxbridge store launch marks the household and garden retailer’s return to West London.
It is also its seventh opening since the brand was acquired by CDS Superstores.
Spanning approximately 30,000sqft, the store will be situated in its former trading location at The Pavillions Shopping Centre.
It looks to offer local shoppers access to products they know and love – including Christmas essentials.
The store’s launch day will feature goody bags for the first 50 shoppers in the queue and an exclusive prize for the first person in line, along with great value deals across many key categories.
Shoppers will also get to try their luck at the spin the wheel, with a chance to win gift cards and pick-n-mix vouchers.
As with its fellow six concept stores launched to date, the new Uxbridge store will feature additional services, including a Click and Collect offering.
This store launch forms part of Wilko’s expansion plans, with a further national roll-out planned.
It’s the brand’s latest store, joining recent openings in Poole, Exeter, Luton, Plymouth, St Albans and Rotherham.
What other retailers have made a comeback?
It has been a tough time for retailers since Covid and the last few years have seen many vanish from our high streets.
The rising cost of living and expensive rents have all been playing a part in the demise of some of our much-loved high street names.
This week saw the return of the beloved record chain Our Price.
The record store was once a staple of the UK high street from the early 1970s until 2004.
The first store was on London‘s Finchley Road, and the brand had as many as 300 branches at its peak, making it one of the biggest music store chains in the UK.
Last week Our Price revealed it would be making a return as music lovers will once again be able to buy thousands of vinyls and other merch.
Shoppers can browse the catalogue online for now only, owners have not ruled out the return to physical stores at some point in the future.
Toys R Us is also among those which has managed to make a comeback.
The popular toy brand opened up nine new shops in 2023 after vanishing from the high street in 2018.
However, the new stores are slightly different as they are “shop-in-shops” and are located inside WHSmith stores.
Toys R Us will be opening 30 new shops across the UK this summer following the successful opening of almost a dozen stores last year.
In October last year, Paperchase also made a return after closing all of its 134 shops and concessions earlier in the year.
Fans of the brand were devastated when the retailer disappeared from the high street in April after falling into administration.
However, supermarket giant Tesco stepped in and bought the rights to the brand and then went on to launch it in some of its stores.
A total of 261 Tesco stores now stock Paperchase products – we have the full list here.
M&Co, previously called Mackay’s, fell into administration for the second time in two years in December 2022.
Fellow retailer Yours Clothing bought the M&Co brand and intellectual property.
The retailer launched a new M&Co website in June 2023 and The Sun exclusively revealed its plans to open up physical stores starting in May 2024.
Meanwhile, we also visited the new Toys R Us shops when they first reopened.
Plus, have a look inside an iconic fast food chain’s training centre with a fake restaurant simulator.
Retailers opening stores
IT'S not all bad news on the high street as several retailers are bucking the trend and opening shops.
- German discounter Aldi has announced it will open 35 new UK stores this year. The openings form part of Aldi‘s long-term target of operating 1,500 stores in the UK.
- Asda has been opening hundreds of convenience stores as it looks to rival major players Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
- Purepay Retail Limited , the parent company of Bonmarché, Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) and Peacocks, Purepay Retail Limited, has said it wants to open 100 new high street stores over the next 18 months.
- Home Bargains has said it wants to “eventually have between 800 and 1,000 retail outlets open”.
- Primark is also opening new branches and investing and renovating more than a dozen of its existing shops.
- Screwfix is set to open 40 new stores nationwide as its owner, Kingfisher, seeks to expand the DIY brand’s national presence.
- Tesco has revealed plans to open 70 more stores across the UK over the next year as part of major expansion plans.
- WHSmith has turned its focus to the travel side of its business, with plans to open new sites in airports, railway stations and hospitals.