It's curtains! End of the road for long-established hardware chainstore Wilko as money finally runs out

                                                            

Wilko's store in Cleethorpes closed last year and a similar fate now beckons for the two shops in Grimsby 

THE chief executive of Wilko, which has two stores in Grimsby, has issued a statement in the wake of  the collapse of the firm.

Says Mark Jackson: "We left no stone unturned when it came to preserving this incredible business but must concede that with regret that we have no choice but to take the difficult decision to enter into administration.

"We have a history steeped in serving customers and communities going back to 1930.

"Our founder JK Wilkinson started with a single hardware shop in Leicester and, for more than 90 years,  families have come to us to get their household and garden jobs done quickly, simply and at the best value prices possible.

"We thrived and successfully grew from one to 400 stores. 

"We did this by listening to our customers - working out what they needed and then making sure we gave it to them. 

"Whether it was recognising the demands for DIY products in the 1950s, creating our first Wilko product range in the 1970s, launching online shopping in the 2000s or being the first to sell 100 per cent plastic-free wipes across our whole range."

The demise of Wilko has been attributed to competition from other retailers such as B&M, Home Bargains, Poundland and Superdrug, but there have also been questions about the management and whether the directors, members of the family, might have been taking out too much from the business in annual dividends.

Ends Mr  Jackson: "I should like to take this opportunity on behalf of the directors and the Wilkinson family to thank all of our customers, suppliers, partners and our hardworking team members across our stores, logistics and support centre who remained loyal to Wilko. 

"We have all fought hard to keep this incredible business intact but must concede that time has run out, and now we must do what’s best to preserve as many jobs as possible, for as long as is possible, by working with our appointed administrators."

The two Grimsby stores - in Top Town and Freeman Street - are likely to remain open in the short term until the administrators have determined what can be salvaged from the wreckage of the business.