Discount retailer hires more than 950 former Wilko staff

Poundland has welcomed 962 former Wilko colleagues to its team in the past three months.

Of these, 826 have joined on hourly paid contracts in the 64 reopened Wilko locations, with an additional 122 taking on roles as store managers or assistant store managers.

Fourteen others have joined Poundland’s customer support centre in Walsall.

Last week, Poundland opened 87 new stores in just 70 days, including 10 completely new locations. The expansion includes former Wilko spots and flagship places like Birmingham Fort and Watford, taking over a former John Lewis store.

In 2024, Poundland expects to open new stores in former Wilko units, surpassing the 71 lease options obtained in September.

In preparation for the holiday season, Poundland has hired 1,200 temporary colleagues for stores in the UK and Ireland.

While most of these roles will conclude on Christmas Eve, some may be extended until early January.

Simon Wells, people director at Poundland said: “I want to thank the Poundland team for their extraordinary efforts in making so many roles available, so quickly, to those affected by the administration of Wilko. We know by keeping our promise to re-open former Wilko stores in such numbers, and at such pace, we’ve made a big difference to hundreds of people. We’re incredibly proud that so many former Wilko team members have now chosen to continue their careers here at Poundland.”