Over 280 jobs axed by Wilko administrators – with more to follow

Some 269 people will be made redundant by Wilko’s administrators who have this lunchtime admitted that there is “no viable offer structure put forward” to buy the stricken Nottinghamshire retailer in its entirety.

The redundancies will be made at close of business on Monday September 4.

The initial raft of job losses will be at Wilko’s support centre in Worksop. Further redundancies will be made at at the firm’s distribution centres in Worksop and Newport early next week, say administrators from PwC. Exact numbers are set to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, no viable offers have been received for Kin Limited (Kin), a subsidiary of Wilkinson Hardware Stores Ltd (WHSL). As such, the company has had to close, resulting in the redundancies of its 14 employees – also effective from close of business on Monday 4 September.

Jane Steer, joint administrator, said: “It’s with great sadness that we announce these redundancies. We’re incredibly grateful to these team members for the support and dedication they’ve shown to the company, particularly over the last few very difficult weeks.

“We will continue to do all that we can to support staff through this period of difficult upheaval, and to maximise their opportunities for a rapid return to work. Our priority is to ensure that all team members affected by redundancy are assisted in processing their claims with immediate effect. We will be circulating correspondence to all staff as soon as possible which will outline the support available to complete redundancy payment forms. Advice and assistance will also be available from Job Centre Plus and other agencies.”

All stores are currently trading and remain open.