As reported by CityAM, the GMB union confirmed the news, stating that all Wilko employees were informed of this development earlier today. The union further highlighted the grim possibility of all staff members facing redundancy.
This unfortunate outcome follows the unsuccessful attempt to sell approximately 100 Wilko stores to Doug Putman, the owner of HMV. The Canadian entrepreneur reportedly terminated discussions with the high street stores' administrators, PwC, due to apprehensions regarding the retailer's infrastructure expenses.
In a related development last week, B&M acquired 51 Wilko locations for a sum of £13 million. However, there was no clarity on whether any jobs would be retained as part of this transaction. To date, Wilko has already laid off over 1,300 employees and shut down 52 of its stores.
There are ongoing negotiations with another retail giant, Poundland, concerning the acquisition of a few Wilko outlets. PwC, the administrators overseeing the situation, has yet to comment on these developments.
