Wilko's going bust!

[andyoxon]

'parently 'Wilko owners took £77m out of business in last decade'
https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2023/08/wilko-owners-77m/

[Wobbly John]

Ob:YACF

I bought a set of stainless steel biscuit/$BROWN_DRINK tins from Wilko's sometime shortly after the last ice age, following a post from The Blessed Charlotte about making your own wood gassification stove.

Naturally I never got round to making it and have mislaid part of the set.

AOL.

Actually, since at some point between the ice age and now I've acquired a drill press, it might be worth revisiting...

Actually, the gassifying twig stoves you can buy for about £10 on ebay are better in many ways - weight, size folded, reliability, etc.

[Wobbly John]

'parently 'Wilko owners took £77m out of business in last decade'
https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2023/08/wilko-owners-77m/

Lisa Wilkinson had an office at the store where my wife worked, and there are connections to my employ too, so we have experience of the current management and where the money was going…

Unfortunately some of my wife’s pension is tied up in the company’s scheme. 

[Cudzoziemiec]

The Grauniad has been writing about USA tip culture – apparently tips are even asked for at some self-checkouts now! https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/16/tipping-culture-in-the-us-is-out-of-control-were-even-asked-to-tip-self-checkouts
Nobody's ever asked for a tip at Wilko's but one thing I don't like is that, at least when paying by card, a screen pops up asking if you'd like to add a small amount for charity. Press the red button for no, the green button for yes. What annoys me about this is that the particular charity is never named. Nor do I feel confident that all of my donation would go to whatever charity it is. TBF this is not a Wilko-specific complaint, I've encountered exactly the same system, with the same opacity, at eg Blacks. It is probably well intentioned but it doesn't help credibility. Tesco has or used to have a similar but far more transparent and therefore credible system, where you were asked if you would like to round up your bill to the nearest whole £ for a named charity. Off the top of my head I remember a local foodbank and something for Ukrainian refugees being the named charities.

[Kim]

I think we should staunchly eschew both.  If I want to give money to charity, I'll do so in a way that doesn't help $Megacorp with their tax bill (which is ultimately what these donation things are about).

[Mr Larrington]

Screwfix do the “would you like to round this up to a whole number of quids” thing.  Which I did when buying something or other the other day as it amounted to a massive 1p.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I think I have three objections to tipping.
From the staff point of view:
1. Your wages should not depend on having a pretty face, etc.
From the customer point of view:
2. As with charity donations at tills, the employer is using the customer to both justify a low wage and avoid payroll taxes.
3. The price for a given item or service should be the same regardless of whoever is buying it, not dependent on the customer's generosity, gullibility or sense of guilt.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Oh, someone called Paulo777 has made the following comment on the above tipping article:

In the UK the chip and pin machines often invite you to make a donation to a charity (garages in paticular but I think I was asked last time to a major cinema chain). Do they do this in the states? To the existing categories of Chugger (Charity Mugger - those guys who accost you when your shopping), Churglers (Charity Burglers - the ones who go door to door) it seems to add a third category Chippers (Charity Tipping).

Chugger is a well established term, I haven't heard churgler or chipper before. Not sure I particularly want to hear them again TBH!

[GdS]

There was one a couple of doors down from the Gulag in central Bury St Edmunds.

was still there in March; needed it for some inner tubes on a DIY200. Hard to find tho nowhere near the expensive shops.

in my home town we have no B & M, Wilko is probably the only cheap store. Tend to use it for bunny food toiletries tools and lots of fairy lights all of which could be got online if CBA

Can't believe all the different lampshades etc they sell they are awful. Will be sad to see it go though. Best bargain is the pick / n / mix bag of nuts screws washers and Rawlplugs probably got a lifetime supply now...

[Tim Hall]

Black's ( or the Horsham one at least) has a sign by the till explaining which charity it is. I can't remember which one, but I have a vague memory it's related to under privileged women ( sadly there are too many sub groups of under privileged women).

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Good to know I am not alone in my dislike of shops soliciting charity donations. I have stuck stuff in the food bank collection: tea, coffee usually.

Today I was cutting a bit of wood and noticed the square I used had ‘Wilko’ on it. I couldn’t remember buying the thing, but it’s an ok item.

[Woofage]

From the Beeb:

There is speculation that rival discounters such as B&M and Poundland could be among possible buyers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66543380

I imagine many larger towns already have one or other of the above in addition to a Wilko (here we have all 3), so it doesn't look good for staff.

There was one a couple of doors down from the Gulag in central Bury St Edmunds.

was still there in March; needed it for some inner tubes on a DIY200. Hard to find tho nowhere near the expensive shops.

in my home town we have no B & M, Wilko is probably the only cheap store. Tend to use it for bunny food toiletries tools and lots of fairy lights all of which could be got online if CBA

Can't believe all the different lampshades etc they sell they are awful. Will be sad to see it go though. Best bargain is the pick / n / mix bag of nuts screws washers and Rawlplugs probably got a lifetime supply now...

The BSE branch is pretty decent and we've used it for basic DIY supplies, bird seed, cat food etc. All of those items can be bought easily elsewhere in the town, however, although Wilko is within walking distance for many.

[Mr Larrington]

From the Beeb:

There is speculation that rival discounters such as B&M and Poundland could be among possible buyers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66543380

I imagine many larger towns already have one or other of the above in addition to a Wilko (here we have all 3), so it doesn't look good for staff.

Walthamstow High Street being the length it is there are three or four Poundlands on it.  Some of which I've actually bought Stuffs from, unlike the Wilko on the same street.

[Pickled Onion]

I think we should staunchly eschew both.  If I want to give money to charity, I'll do so in a way that doesn't help $Megacorp with their tax bill (which is ultimately what these donation things are about).

I don't see how it helps with their tax bill, they collect £x, pay £x to the charity, profits and therefore tax bill unchanged. They can reduce their tax by giving some profits to charity, but that's a strategy that leaves them with less money, not more.

I imagine it looks good on the annual report "we raised £x for charity last year" and quite likely improves their ESG score, which is pretty important these days.

I think I have three objections to tipping.
From the staff point of view:
1. Your wages should not depend on having a pretty face, etc.
From the customer point of view:
2. As with charity donations at tills, the employer is using the customer to both justify a low wage and avoid payroll taxes.
3. The price for a given item or service should be the same regardless of whoever is buying it, not dependent on the customer's generosity, gullibility or sense of guilt.

On (2), tips have to go through the payroll nowadays. If a restaurant claims not to receive tips, HMRC will adjust the taxes on the assumption that they receive an "average" amount of tips. Barbers and Minicabs may get away with more, but they are normally self-employed.

For (1) and (3) I totally agree, plus the low wage thing. The price should be the price, and the wage should be the rate for the job. In the US the price is basically what it says +20% and you can express your disgust of poor service by leaving 18%. Failing to tip can get you barred from leaving or chased down the street.

[quixoticgeek]

I think we should staunchly eschew both.  If I want to give money to charity, I'll do so in a way that doesn't help $Megacorp with their tax bill (which is ultimately what these donation things are about).

I don't see how it helps with their tax bill, they collect £x, pay £x to the charity, profits and therefore tax bill unchanged. They can reduce their tax by giving some profits to charity, but that's a strategy that leaves them with less money, not more.

I imagine it looks good on the annual report "we raised £x for charity last year" and quite likely improves their ESG score, which is pretty important these days.

Or it means they can do something creative with the card processing fees...

J

[Wobbly John]

Mrs WJ has received a Wilko pension ‘don’t panic’ letter.,.

[Wobbly John]

I understand B&M are taking over 51 Wilko stores costing them £13M…

[TheLurker]

I understand B&M are taking over 51 Wilko stores costing them £13M…

Unfortunately it's just the sites, staff aren't included.  Pleas have been made for B&M to offer jobs to the ex-Wilko staff before recruiting other people, but whether or not that will happen...

[De Sisti]

I wonder if this list of store closures is true? (Just did a quick google search)

Which Wilko stores are due to close?

Acton, Aldershot, Barking, Bishop Auckland, Bletchley FF, Brownhills, Camberley, Cardiff Bay Retail Park, Falmouth, Harpurhey, Irvine, Liverpool Edge Lane, Llandudno, Lowestoft, Morley, Nelson, Port Talbot, Putney, Stafford, Tunbridge Wells, Wakefield, Weston-super-Mare, Westwood Cross, Winsford.7 hours ago

[spesh]

I wonder if this list of store closures is true? (Just did a quick google search)

Which Wilko stores are due to close?

Acton, Aldershot, Barking, Bishop Auckland, Bletchley FF, Brownhills, Camberley, Cardiff Bay Retail Park, Falmouth, Harpurhey, Irvine, Liverpool Edge Lane, Llandudno, Lowestoft, Morley, Nelson, Port Talbot, Putney, Stafford, Tunbridge Wells, Wakefield, Weston-super-Mare, Westwood Cross, Winsford.7 hours ago

Those are the ones closing on the 12th, there's a further tranche of store closures on the 14th:

Ashford
    Avonmeads
    Banbury
    Barrow in Furness
    Basildon, Belle Vale
    Burnley
    Clydebank
    Cortonwood
    Dagenham
    Dewsbury
    Eccles
    Folkestone
    Great Yarmouth
    Hammersmith
    Huddersfield
    Morriston
    New Malden
    North Shields
    Queen Street Cardiff
    Rhyl
    Southampton-West Quay
    St Austell
    Stockport
    Truro
    Uttoxeter
    Walsall
    Woking

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66728619

[Woofage]

Looks like it's The End for Wilko as no rescue deals have come forward: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66743050

[Cudzoziemiec]

It's a shame. They stepped into the gap left by Woolworths, but maybe that gap no longer exists (or at least is not attractive enough to fill)?

[ian]

Expensive sites, low margins, probably already more competition than there are customers, plus the internet makes getting stuff delivered to your door quick and simple.

[hubner]

I go pass one on my commute, actually I go past the retail park where it's located. That particular store used to be in a town centre but it got closed down and they opened a new store a few miles down the road "out of town".

A few days after the news of Wilko going bankrupt, I popped in and had a look, hoping to get some grease or Autosol, both out of stock.

I did buy a large white mug (about 500ml I think) for £2, it's not the sort of purchase you would make via the internet.

I've already bought one before, I should have bought two as they're excellent.

[sojournermike]

Expensive sites, low margins, probably already more competition than there are customers, plus the internet makes getting stuff delivered to your door quick and simple.

The cheap Amazon of the high street - insufficient volume for most of the time