Expanding Dunelm looks to snap up Wilko stores
Dunelm has become the latest name to show an interest in former Wilko stores, as the retailer looks to expand.
The home furnishings retailer’s chief executive Nick Wilkinson told The Times that Dunelm is expecting to snap up a number of stores which once belonged to the now-bust Wilko.
All 400 of Wilko’s stores are set to close by early October after a rescue deal collapsed. The retailer fell into administration in August after a difficult post-Pandemic period.
On Wednesday, Dunelm said that the strong performance of its newest stores has given it the confidence to “accelerate openings” over the next two years.
The retailer said it had “never been more confident in [its] plans to seize opportunities in the short, medium and long term”.
It is now set to double its store opening rate from five to ten branches during the next two years.
Wilkinson told The Times: “[Wilko] had 400 shops and we’re talking about five to ten shops a year, so we’re not one of the players to say we’d like to take on a tranche of stores.
“But I suspect what will happen is that as stores go back to landlords…there will be an opportunity to pick up [former Wilko stores].”
The retailer’s focus will be on areas in which it does not have much of a presence, such as urban South East England and London.
Dunelm joins Lidl as another retailer eyeing up Wilko’s estate, with the supermarket retailer considering its options as it targets 1,100 stores by the end of 2025.
Poundland and B&M have already agreed deals to take former Wilko stores, snapping up 71 and 51 respectively.
Meanwhile, The Range has struck a deal which will see it take control of Wilko’s brand.