Wilko on brink of collapse
 

The Wilko homeware chain is on brink of collapse ;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66395824

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Can't remember the last time I went in or bought anything from there tbf.


The issue is when places don't modernise with the times (more people are in to getting things off places like Amazon now) and stay where they were a few years ago expecting it to pick up.


I notice they have been involved with Hilco, which was never a good sign given who they have involved with before (think Zavvi, Staples, Woolworths) and that very few retailers who have involved them are still trading...

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I stopped going there after they started hiking prices a few years ago.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

They should do free delivery then I would use them Cheaper from Amazon when you factor in delivery

Its a shame hearing they arent doing well.......

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Not surprised as for quite a while they have been in trouble and as someone pointed out that a failure to adapt to the fierce competition out there like others before them has been their downfall.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I've never understood this free delivery thing. Granted its a good thing when you get it free but why do people expect it, it costs money to the company, surely you don't expect them to give that away for free?

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Retailers need to "value add". You either need to sell things people would rather not buy on-line and/or you have to offer something extra that you can't get on-line. Your prices need to be in line with that "value add", you can charge too much more than the likes of Amazon without your "value add" being worth the extra.


What annoys me is people who don't see local/specialist retailers being worth their "value add" and take up that extra and them go buy on-line. We have lost too many shops that way (not counting landlords and councils doing their bit to close off these places.)

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Millions pay for Prime so will use Amazon for most of their online shopping of available items. This is Amazons genius. Wilkos charge so by the time any savings made ordering from them over product price are swallowed up by delivery charges. So they simply fail to compete and then they are failing

We have had a large store in our town for decades it was talking about moving to a better premises but I am guessing that is unlikely to happen now

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I know what Amazon do, its the expecting companies to offer free delivery I can't get.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

What is there to get? If they want my business they have to compete with Amazon or at least appear to.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

What, a tiny company compared to one of the biggest retailers in the world? Delivery isn't free, why should you expect it.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I don't use Amazon if there's an alternative even if it costs more, same as if I'm expected to use self service check outs rather than paying at the till, I'll go elsewhere without buying.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

because they need the business

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I said why should you expect it?

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

and I said because they need the business

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

But that's not the question I'm asking, I'm not disputing that they need the business, I'm asking why you expect free delivery.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I expect free delivery cuz they need the business. Not rocket science

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Doesn't matter.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Amazon isnt really free. You pay £95 a year for prime, plus prices are generally a little higher to account for the "free" delivery.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I am on Amazon Student so I pay £4.49 so about £54 a year. In the last 12 months I have had 171 packages delivered with some free returns also. So each delivery will have cost me less than 32p

Often my deliveries are small. Bare in mind due to my disability I rarely leave the house so if I say need a roll of tape I can buy 1 and get it next day. A lot of my orders are delivered same day too

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

This


But there are other benefits of prime than just free delivery. I'm watching Murray right now...


What I usually do when looking around is look at the delivery cost as well as the service you get - the tracking with amazon is good as well, you get a (usually accurate) time slot for delivery and notification when it's near, which not all couriers do well.



Plus the same-day service you can sometimes get is good - i ordered a wifi extender yesterday and got it about 8pm when i'd only ordered midway through the morning.



Also, some places are more than amazon even with delivery paid for not included already. It pays to shop around.


As for wilko, I guess the advantage a physical store does have is that one can walk in & out with the items, presuming they have them in stock at that store, and this means also that they need the overheads of a store to work, which pushes the prices up - if you don't need it straight away and can wait for someone else to deliver it next day then that should be cheaper to reflect that. In that case, they're probably now more directly competing against places like B&M, The Range etc which don't seem to have been around more, and generally seem to be better value. Wilko haven't adapted to be overall better generally than somewhere like B&M nor specialised like somewhere like B&Q (But then Hilco still own Homebase) and in my eyes don't appear to have claimed a niche which has probably set them back a bit.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I have used Wilco a lot over the years, especially when I got cash back on my airtimes rewards app.


When my niece and her girlfriend moved into their first home together I bought a set of home tools they might need and a bag, all bought form Wilco, plus some of my doubles i had.


But now I'm carer I use Amazon as I get 99% next day delivery for free (Prime)

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Gone into administration

https://news.sky.com/story/around-12...ation-12937106

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I feel sorry for all those people finding themselves out of a job, especially as a good chunk of them might only know that type of work so finding something else could be a challenge. Sad day.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

They have sent emails out to those on their list today

https://www.wilko.com/medias/A-messa..._Ba57Vn.Wpge5P

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Competitors B&M and The Range have focused on out of town retail parks and Wilko on town centres.

Perhaps this is one reason to explain why B&M and The Range are thriving and Wilko is in administration?

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

We have a town centre B&M around 200 yards away from our Wilko store. B&M took over what was the original Woolworths site in the town. Another store that was "part of the furniture" for many years.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

All but the 51 bought by B&M are set to close by October https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66743050

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Poundland taking on 71 Wilkos

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66789546

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Looks like at least two near to me are converting to Poundland.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Our Wilko closed for good today.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Yes but nothing yet appears to have been decided for what I'd have said are decent spaces - the one in Carlton Square, which is a decent size with good accessibility and parking, and likewise Arnold (which used to be Sainsburys) which even has its own car park on top of the store. The Beeston one for example, which is on the announcement, is similar but I'd have said the others should be snapped up ahead of it?

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Well, as yet we dont know what stores B&M have grabbed.

There is a Wilko at Giltbrook (Ikea Retail Park) - you would think someone would want that, its a very busy shopping park.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Difficult to see a future for Arnold, with a Poundland branch being next door already, and B&M having a branch nearby in Daybrook. Pity really, as it’s always been a good place to park - even when it was Sainsbury’s.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Maybe Aldi might be interested?

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

I wandered into our local large branch and saw that everything was a third off. I noticed some gardening stuff I often bought. It was tagged at around 50% more than I paid just a few months ago? Inflation? Or a con?

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Probably a bit of both. The liquidators won’t want there to be an absolute fire sale. They will know people will go in and buy stuff on the assumption all the prices have been slashed, mostly without bothering to check too closely, so they can make their job a bit easier by fleecing unwary bargain hunters before finally getting shut of the remnants to clearance specialists, where it will be showing up on eBay for years to come (I used to get replacement bulbs for a lovely Christmas tree light set I got in Woolworths a couple of years before it went under. So nice I was prepared to spend almost as much on new incandescent bulbs over the next few years as I would have spent on one LED set).

Inflation most definitely is a thing, and prices have gone up never to come down again, but I think here again some retailers have been extracting the urine and just seeing how much more they can get for their wares.

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

The Range buy the brand from Administrators

https://news.sky.com/story/the-range...brand-12960545

Re: Wilko on brink of collapse
 

Tomorrow our local Wilko is due to close, I will be going there to see what bargains, if any, are available. Wallpaper is on our list, we shall see if the visit to them was worth it. Keep you posted.

Very sad