Where are Wilko stores opening? Chain to return to high street months after collapse

Wilko has returned to the high street after opening two new shops in Plymouth and Exeter. It comes just months after the company's dramatic collapse.

Wilko had to close all its 400 UK shops earlier this year due to heavy debts and low consumer spending, leaving almost all of its 12,500 workers jobless.

The company's assets were sold off, including up to 71 stores which became Poundland shops, and up to 51 stores that reopened under rival discounter B&M.

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CDS Superstores, the parent company of The Range, bought the Wilko brand for £5 million. They have already relaunched the Wilko.com online platform and started selling products under the Wilko brand within The Range shops.

The new owners said the relaunched stores will stock the retail brand's traditional homeware and garden products, with a 20% wider range of items.

As well as opening shops in Plymouth and Exeter., another store is set to open in Luton next week as CDS brings the brand back to high streets across the UK. They also plan to open more Wilko stores next year and expand the brand to Northern Ireland for the first time.

Alex Simpkin, chief executive officer of CDS, said: "The customer reaction to the new stores opening today has been fantastic and proves we're doing the right thing in returning this much-loved retailer to UK high streets."

The company shared that about three-quarters of the staff at the new Plymouth store used to work at Wilko, and about a third of the team at the Exeter location are former Wilko employees.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra