Wickes is still going strong I believe. I’ve not heard anything to the contrary!
Comment on Wilko collapses into administration putting 12,000 jobs at risk
noodle@feddit.uk 10 months ago
Devastated. After Wickes collapsed Wilko became my go to for DIY stuff. Garden stuff, pet food and toys, all easy to grab from Wilko and IMO much better quality than it’s rivals in Amazon (fuck Amazon 😡) B&M (meh 😐) or Poundstretcher (why waste your money there?🤮).
I suspect a lot more than just competition is playing into this. Currently high interest rates will be making that £40m loan sting.
blackbird@feddit.uk 10 months ago
stevecrox@kbin.social 10 months ago
I think they mean Woolworths.
Fun story...
Plymouth's Woolworths was the largest in the country with the largest revenue (and profit). For 5 years it had no regional manager because no one from head office wanted to trek that far. As a result it was completely ignored and not refitted or supported.
During that period head office made us all do an employee survey. One of the questions was "Do you think Woolworths will still be here in 5 years". The store manager got shouted at because our store of 100 all said "no".
After much consideration we were all made to redo the questionaire, this time without the question.
Just as I left a regional manager was appointed who dictated floor layout changes. Being months from finishing university I told him his changes defied how shoppers acted and would cost the store thousands. He told me I was just a shop worker and knew nothing.
A week later on daily revenue of £10k-£20k (Saturday was £100k) the store was down £50k for the week. Apparently he forced more changes and it got worse.
Everyone I talk to in retail has similar stories, all of it is terribly managed.
Patch@feddit.uk 10 months ago
Yep, Wickes is still going, as is B&Q and Screwfix. Also, The Range isn’t bad as a Wilko rival.
Personally I’ve never rated Wilko. Not as cheap as B&M or The Range, but no better quality.
Finkler@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Yep Wickes is still alive
GreatAlbatross@feddit.uk 10 months ago
Wilko was always good for the “middle” DIY stuff. Kinda like a little, less overpriced homebase, in the middle of town.
You wouldn’t go there to rewire your house. But you would to change one socket.