Wilko customers bid farewell to Cambridgeshire stores for final time

All the county's stores will close within the next two weeks

Wilko
Author: Dan MasonPublished 24th Sep 2023

Wilko customers will be saying goodbye to its Cambridge and Peterborough stores as they shut for the final time.

Peterborough's Hereward Cross shopping centre store is due to close after trading today, while Cambridge's Fitzroy Street branch will shut for good from Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Wilko's Huntingdon store on St Germain Walk will close on Tuesday, October 3 while the Ely branch on Market Street will shut on Sunday, October 8.

But we're told that the closures are partly down to shoppers getting bored.

Dr Cathrine Jansson-Boyd is an associate professor in consumer psychology at Anglia Ruskin University:

"We're not static as human beings; we need a change, we need evolvement and consumers are incredibly picky these days," she said.

"If it's fun twice, three times, that's not going to keep going because you had the experience, tried it now I want a different experience and that's where Wilko went wrong.

"I think we are going to see those who are surviving on the high street are those who are smaller and independent.

"It's tragic we are seeing bigger chains going down the drain because it affects so many people's lives."

New buyer brings new life to some Wilko stores

Administrators said on Tuesday that 111 more stores will serve customers for a final time next week.

The firm will close 37 stores after trading today, a further 37 on Tuesday, September 26 and another 37 on Thursday September 28.

The high street chain, which entered administration last month, started its closure process last week.

All of Wilko's 400 shops will close by early October, according to administrators from PwC.

However, Poundland owner Pepco has agreed to buy up to 71 Wilko stores - including the one in Cambridge.

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