Wilko fans 'so happy' as high street chain reveals date for new store opening
Wilko is opening a new store in Poole next month
Wilko is opening a brand new high street store next month after closing hundreds of UK shops last year.
The high street home and garden retailer has confirmed that it will be opening a brand new site in Poole in the Dolphin shopping centre on August 16. The original Wilko site in Poole in the Dorset town closed last year on October 3 along with nearby stores in Winton, Boscombe and Ferndown.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held to mark the opening of the revamped store and prizes and goody bags will be handed out to the first 50 shoppers in the queue. The 23,500 square feet site will offer customers well-known Wilko own-brand alongside popular named products.
Customers will be able to browse and order from over 100,000 products from the self-service terminals for home delivery at the store which accompanies the relaunch of wilko.com. It will also feature an Iceland concession. These freezers will include classic Iceland ranges, including TGI Fridays, Greggs and Slimming World. Branches in Exeter, Luton and Plymouth are all part of Wilko's concept stores and offer Iceland's frozen food range. The trial began at Wilko stores in St Albans and Rotherham.
The collaboration between Wilko and Iceland follows the supermarket's partnership with The Range, which are both owned by CDS supermarkets. Wilko has confirmed that when staffing the new store, priority will be given to ex-Wilko team members and recruitment is now taking place locally.
Wilko collapsed into administration last August, with more than 400 stores being forced to close as a result. The Wilko name and intellectual property was later bought by rival the parent company of The Range for a reported £5million - which has led to a huge comeback for the beloved retailer. Locals were thrilled to hear the news and shared their excitement for the store's return on social media. One X - formerly Twitter - user said: "I am so happy that Poole is going to get its Wilko back. I have such a long list of things I need to buy there!" Another said: "Some good news for a change about Poole with Wilko’s return to the Dolphin centre"