Wilko - will they survive ?

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

It looks like Wilko's is history. Rather sad. Years ago, Wilkinson's was a favourite. I loved it. Granted, it was a bit spit and sawdust but I loved that singular 'hardware shop' aroma as you walked in. Pile it high and sell it cheap (a la the old Woolworth's shops) was the philosophy behind it and they sold some good stuff at bargain prices.  I still have a good collection of ovenware and crocks I bought there decades ago.

 

Then, some bright spark gave it a makeover. It lost its unique character. Everything neatly stacked on shelves, prices rocketed, much of the good stuff just disappeared and I didn't go in any longer. To be brutally honest, I'm surprised they've lasted this long.

[benjamin1945 16,161]

Just my thoughts Jill......about 3 months ago i purchased some Plant Pots at 4.50 each went for some more couple of weeks ago 6.50same Pots !! Says it all really....

[Stuart.C 491]

I've always been a fan and customer of Wilkos, but as Jill says when they had a makeover, something went wrong.

 Just like the food supermarkets who ignored Aldi and Lidl sneeking up on them, Wilkos missed The Range and B&M coming at them and reacted too late, if at all.

[Cliff Ton 10,468]

Coincidentally I was in Wilko on Parliament Street this morning. I've always been a fan of them and it seemed as busy as ever. One thing I've noticed is that they often have gaps on the shelves where certain items should be; apparently some of their suppliers are no longer too keen on doing business with them.

 

It'll be a pity if they go because they are one of the increasingly small number of survivors of the 'good old days' when there were lots of shops in the city centre.

[plantfit 7,601]

Wilkos in Newark have had gaps in their shelves where good should have been for ages now, Boyds seem to have too their business in Newark, trouble with companies like that they seem to rest on their laurels and think customers will stick with them but in reality customers only want bargains these days, shame to lose them though all the same, 

 

Rog

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

Can't help that thinking that Wilkinson's was fine as it was years ago. The old adage, if it ain't broke... springs to mind.

[plantfit 7,601]

Spot on Jill

 

Rog

 

[benjamin1945 16,161]

Hate to think what main street Bulwell would look like if Wilko's closes........its the biggest store on main street ..........indoor Market perhaps?

Mind you the outdoor market is hardly thriving........

[Beekay 5,153]

Where is it now Ben? I remember it being on Main street, but I was under the impression that Weatherspoons took over those premises.

[plantfit 7,601]

Same everywhere Ben, people go out of town to retail parks where you can park your car close to the stores for free like at Lincoln but to park your car in a car park and go to the shop in the city will add at least another five or six quid to the bill 

 

Rog

[Brew 5,421]

It seems that a few years back American business gurus were all the rage and were advocating things like mission statements, customer facing, brand image and slick slogans. Shops like Woolworth, Wilkinsons and Marks and Spencer to name a few bought into it and decided to ignore their customer base and move up market, with trendy logo's etc.  They lost sight of where their bread and butter lay.

It broke Woolworth. Marks abandoned British made goods and plunged into the doldrums for years, and now Wilko has gone.

[philmayfield 6,144]

I think it’s just the decline of the high street in general. People drive to the out of town retail centres to park nearby for free. M&S closed their Newark town centre shop but they’re pulling in the customers at the nearby retail park where there’s free parking; likewise at Victoria retail park Netherfield and at their Lincoln out of town store on Tritton Rd.

[plantfit 7,601]

There was plan to open some small retail stores and upto 1 private dwelling at the Newark M&S but now I've read the building is to be demolished

 

Rog

 

[philmayfield 6,144]

I think Newark market place was killed off when they built the Asda store on the adjacent large open car park, just a short walk away. We don’t go into the town centre now. The older you get the less far you want to walk. Local authorities have contributed to the closures of town centres by banning the cars.

[Rob.L 1,090]

Wilko’s problem started when they thought it a good idea to bring in a whizzkid from Sainsbury’s to shake the company up. Out went the spit & sawdust, in came relatively posh products and brands. It wasn’t really what their customer base wanted.

 

They also couldn’t compete on price against other discounters. In Arnold, for example, there’s Poundland, B&M, Savers, and Boyes. All selling comparable products, and selling them cheaper than Wilko.

[plantfit 7,601]

16 minutes ago, philmayfield said:

I think Newark market place was killed off when they built the Asda store on the adjacent large open car park, just a short walk away. We don’t go into the town centre now. The older you get the less far you want to walk. Local authorities have contributed to the closures of town centres by banning the cars.

You're probably right there Phil, free parking at the asda, get everything you want from the store why would you want to go to the market area when there is only mobile phone repair shops, mobile phone shops,  nail bars (six of them), cafe's and charity shops, you just want to get the weekly shop and go home

 

Rog

[philmayfield 6,144]

I’ve only ever been into a Wilko store once and that was in Arnold. I was told they sold assorted nuts and bolts which you could bag up and weight out. I’ve still got them amongst my extensive stock of odds and ends. If I need to repair something you can bet I’ve got the appropriate bits in stock no matter how obscure!

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

I'm guessing that would have been some time ago, Phil, before the makeover. Many such goods disappeared after it was 'rebranded'.

[Stuart.C 491]

BeeKay

"I remember it being on Main street, but I was under the impression that Weatherspoons took over those premises."

 

I think Weatherspoons took the old Wilko, that was possibly Fine Fare originally.

 

Wilko took Co-op's "New" shop as below.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.0007882,-1.1977421,52a,35y,77.82h,54.6t/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

[philmayfield 6,144]

Yes Jill, it would be a few years ago. I can’t remember when I last visited any high street other than Southwell. Amazon come to me and obviously I’m not the only one. Some years ago people liked to go and browse around the shops. Pearson Bros, Griffins, Sisson and Parker and suchlike. Now people can go online, research their proposed purchases and have them delivered. Some are even buying their cars online, physically unexamined and not driven. The whole concept of shopping has changed during the last few years.

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

It can be difficult, though. A friend of mine has recently bought a hat online. I measured his head. They said it fell into their medium size range.  It arrived and, although a well made, quality product, is too big. So it has to go back. You really can't buy such items online. You need to try them on. Having done so, you know instantly whether they are suitable, comfortable and a good fit. It's a faff repacking and sending them back.

[philmayfield 6,144]

Yes but in your part of the world you can go to McArthur Glenn and park easily. We would similarly go to Downtown just down the A1. Again free parking and not far to walk. Get him a baseball cap, one size fits all!

[nonnaB 4,895]

Trying to buy unusual items that they’ve never heard of in shops or supermarkets is a pain. For example these little lint collectors for washing machines that collect animal hairs. I’d looked everywhere locally and non but eventually found TEMU and found them there. Looking through household products it’s amazing what you find. I even got a ginger peeler that fits round your thumb. We don’t have a shop such as Wilcos so have to get what we can find.

[Beekay 5,153]

18 minutes ago, Stuart.C said:

BeeKay

"I remember it being on Main street, but I was under the impression that Weatherspoons took over those premises."

 

I think Weatherspoons took the old Wilko, that was possibly Fine Fare originally.

 

Wilko took Co-op's "New" shop as below.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.0007882,-1.1977421,52a,35y,77.82h,54.6t/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

If memory serves me right, that building ( now Wetherspoons) was in fact, a theatre or cinema. I'm sure I can recall seeing like that 70 odd years ago.

Cheers Stuart.

[woody 552]

If you think Bulwell will be bad without Wilko Ben have a run up the road to Hucknall. It has virtually nothing but burger shops, charity shops and estate agents. Pedestrianisation was supposed to bring people in, no point as there is nothing to come for.