Date set for closure of Falkirk's Wilko store as rescue deal collapses

The store will close on Sunday, September 17 administrators have confirmed after the collapsed retail chain failed to find a buyer. Staff at the local branch on the High Street were informed of the closure on Monday.

It is one of 124 stores which will close on, or before, Thursday, September 21 marking the beginning of the end of the Wilko brand. All 400 of the discount chain’s shops are set to close by October with the closure dates for the remaining 222 stores to be announced in due course.

Wilko fell into administration in August after struggling with losses and fierce competition from other discount chains, such as Poundland and The Range.

A bid by Doug Putman, the billionaire owner of HMV, to buy up to 300 Wilko shops fell through as rising costs complicated the deal. Administrators PwC said that "extensive efforts" had failed to produce a deal which would save any "significant part" of the Wilko operations.

Zelf Hussain, joint administrator, said: “Despite the significant and intensive efforts of both ourselves and Putman Investments - the remaining party interested in buying a significant part of the business as a going concern - a transaction could not be progressed due to the inability to reduce central infrastructure costs quickly enough to make a deal commercially viable.

“The dedication shown by all team members during this period has been hugely humbling and we are grateful for the patience and understanding they have shown. As with those who have already been given notice of redundancy, we will guide and support those team members impacted over the coming weeks through the redundancy claims process. We also continue to collaborate closely with relevant agencies and engage with any potential employers to help facilitate a quick return into new employment for those impacted.

“We continue to work with potential buyers for different parts of the business and are confident of completing transactions in the coming days.”