PwC full statement as slew of redundancies hit Wilko

In a statement, PwC said: “Since their appointment, the administrators have been working closely with Wilko, its employees and suppliers, to fully understand the structure and implications of a number of offers received for all or parts of the Group, as well as assessing the viability of those offers.

“The joint administrators of the companies are pleased to announce that they have today entered into an agreement to provide B&M with the option to acquire up to 51 properties, after the administration trading period concludes at those sites. 

“We continue to explore all interest in the remainder of the business and are actively working with potential buyers. 

“It has become clear from these discussions that some stores do not form part of any ongoing interest in the Wilko store portfolio. Today the administrators therefore sadly confirm the closure of 52 stores and redundancies of 1,016 staff based at these sites, and a further 299 redundancies at the two distribution centres in Worksop and Newport. 

“The final day of trading for these stores will be Tuesday 12 September and Thursday 14 September. The locations of the stores concerned will be published tomorrow (Wednesday 6th September) once those team members who are affected have been informed.  For those employed at the distribution centres, redundancy will be effective from close of business on Thursday 7 September. 

“The administrators’ dedicated employee team will continue to help provide support, including assisting in the statutory redundancy claims process and ensuring the dedicated employee helpline remains in place to address any employee queries. Company support systems with access to further advice and resources remain active.

“The administrators continue to liaise closely with the government, agencies, unions and large employers to help create avenues to further employment opportunities for affected staff. This includes facilitating the organisation of employer workshops alongside Job Centre Plus, to be held in both Worksop and Newport. These will feature representation from other large employers, with the aim of helping affected employees find a rapid return to employment.”