Wilko to shut Grantham store

Wilko has announced plans to close a number of its Lincolnshire stores this year, resulting in the loss of 67 jobs across the county.

Both the Grantham and Skegness stores are earmarked for closure in May and June 2022 respectively, along with the Scunthorpe store in March and the Cleethorpes store in October 2022.

The home and garden retailer has opened up negotiations with landlords and has confirmed that stores with ‘non-favourable terms’ will close this year as a part of the chains “long-term growth strategy.”

The Grantham store originally opened in Grantham in the 1980s next door to the Angel and Royal, later moving to its present site in the Isaac Newton Centre. The nearest will now be at Newark.

Jerome Saint-Marc, Wilko CEO said; “Our history is steeped in serving our customers and communities going back to 1930 but there’s no denying the way people shop with us and where they want to shop with us is changing.

As a business, we’re evolving and this includes working with landlords for more favourable terms, as well as looking at locations and store formats. We’ll continue to pull together to make our business better to secure the future of over 16,000 team members”.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to support our affected team members who will be offered any available positions in nearby stores.

“We apologise to those communities where stores are closing but will continue to offer them everything they need in nearby stores or via wilko.com.”

Trade union group GMB has described the announcement, which will see 15 stores close nationwide, as “another nail in the high street coffin”

Roger Jenkins, GMB National Officer, said: “These closures are devastating for Wilko workers and the communities who use them.

“It’s yet another nail in the High Street’s coffin and GMB calls on councils and landlords to review commercial leases and offer lower rents.

“Empty high streets and shopping centres are in no one’s interest and but with 400 shops a week closing, this is inevitable – unless the costs of premises can be reduced.

“GMB will now meet with Wilko members to discuss our next steps.”