Wilko in Stroud with empty shelves as turmoil continues

The company collapsed into administration earlier this month, putting more than 400 stores and around 12,000 jobs at risk. 

Pictures now show several areas of white metal shelving are completely empty inside the store in Five Valleys Shopping Centre. 

Hundreds of items at Wilko are available at discounts between 10 and 50 per cent off at the store, while online home delivery and click-and-collect services have been halted.

It has been announced today, Thursday, August 31 that hundreds of jobs will be lost at Wilko in the first portion of redundancies after a bid for the entirety of the collapsed retailer fell through.

A potential bidder, the only one which planned to protect all 12,500 employees and 400 Wilko sites, missed a deadline set by administrator PwC.

The GMB union said a bidder, reported to be M2 Capital, had not submitted the evidence needed to show it could buy the business.

Meanwhile, Tony Davey, chair of Stroud Chamber of Commerce previously said: "Our thoughts are with the staff and families of those who work for Wilko as this will be a time of great uncertainty for them.

"The path to this point has been long and damaging for the firm.

"In Stroud, I believe the lack of stock availability, reduced ranges and lack of investment has already damaged the branch for well in excess of a year, largely stripping it of the ‘anchor store’ status it obtained upon the closure of Poundland, it seems this baton has passed to Home Bargains.

"Only time will tell if a buyer will be found and what the future of the Stroud store will be.

"Wilko premises look set to be one of a now long line of gravestones of the national retailers across the country, where they have been unable to adjust their business model to succeed in the evolving town centre scene.

"Be under no illusion, though, that our town centres are not dying but are evolving.

"The rate and direction of travel of that evolution is in the hands of our local communities and how they continue to use the many and valuable businesses that remain there."