Shoppers from the Erewash borough and beyond who go shopping at the Giltbrook Retail Park on the outskirts of Ilkeston will soon be able to venture through the doors of a familiar retailer once more after its return to the area was announced recently.
Wilko, previously Wilkinsons, which had Erewash stores in Ilkeston and Long Eaton, collapsed in September 2023 and went into administration, but after the brand was purchased for £5m by the owner of The Range - CDS Superstores - the public response to the loss of Wilko from the High Street has led to an ever increasingly rapid return.
Concept stores were soon opened in Plymouth, Exeter and Luton in late 2023. Now, a further list of stores has been reported including one at The Giltbrook Retail Park. Although it has not been confirmed, it is thought that the store will reopen in the same premises - Unit 10 - that the former family run firm operated having opened it in August 2017 until its enforced closure by the end of September 2023.
Alex Simpkin, Chief Executive Officer for Wilko has said that the initial reaction to the concept stores had been better than had been hoped, with queues of customers old and new and that feedback has continued to be positive, giving officials the confidence to push ahead with further store opening plans. He also confirmed that advanced negotiations were ongoing with a number of landlords, and that all options continue to be reviewed as part of expansion plans, reiterating a previous call to landlords and interested agents to get in touch.
Former Wilko stores in Long Eaton (closed 19th September 2023) and Ilkeston (closed 25th September 2023) have since been re-occupied by other discount retailers, with some former Wilko employees thought to have been taken on having previously been made redundant. Erewash has not yet been included in lists of store opening plans, but Mr. Simpkin has said that the relaunched company was continuing to endeavour to give ex-Wilko employees priority as part of the recruitment process for new stores.
The date of reopening of the Giltbrook Retail Park store has not been confirmed.