Wilko shoppers share administration sale deals as deadline for bidders to buy firm looms
DIGI WILKO VOXES
Wilko shoppers have shared their reaction to the retailer’s “administration sale” with signs advertising “thousands of reductions throughout the store”.
Potential bidders for the crisis-stricken retailer have been given a Wednesday deadline to table offers to buy the firm.
The high street chain collapsed into administration on Thursday, putting its 408 stores and 12,500 jobs at risk.
Wilko shopper Marian Quill, 76, told GB News she thought it was “very sad” the retailer had gone into administration.
Wilko shoppers have shared their reaction to the retailer’s administration sale
GB NEWS
Mrs Quill, who picked up some well-priced paint which wasn’t in the administration sale, said: “Wilko has been around forever. It’s the first place you think of going to when you want a bargain, hence we looked here for some paint today.
“Things are on sale, but it’s always been really well-priced.”
Her husband Peter Quill, 74, added: “It’s a good place to go to if you want everything from lightbulbs to toothpaste all in one place, and all at a reasonable price.”
Another customer, Charmaine Tamblin, 32, had picked up some washable colouring pens for £2.60, down from £6 in the administration sale.
She said of the news: “It’s a bit of a shock. If B&M haven’t got it, Wilko nine times out of 10 have got it.”
Ms Tamblin said it would be a “blow” to Beeston if the town were to lose Wilko.
Andrew Topp, 52, said: “I think it’s shocking. It’s unfortunate that a shop like this which serves a community really well, the league’s been taking out from underneath it.”
Philip Staton, 57, who had bought a notebook for £1.50, said he would regularly shop for paints, lightbulbs, books and stationery at Wilko.
He said: “I was very, very shocked [to hear it had gone into administration] because it’s in the right place for people to shop, it has very good stuff, the staff are very friendly and I think they had a good range of stuff that they sell.”
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Wilko shopper Andrew Topp said it was a shame the shop was closing
GB NEWS
However, not all shoppers were surprised at the news.
Eddie O’Keeffe, 87, from Beeston, Nottingham, said he thought the move to automated tills had impacted the number of customers at Wilko.
He told GB News: “I think when they changed the till system there was a great drop in the people who went in there. They lost numerous customers.
“You had to wait to get served if you were a cash buyer and lots of people just avoided it because it was too much trouble. Older people couldn’t cope with that.”