Wilko workers huddle together in emotional goodbye for last closure | UK News

Wilko staff were seen gathered in a circle in a touching moment marking their final goodbye to the beloved shop.

Workers in the Station Road branch in Clacton, Essex, closed the store for the final time yesterday.

Shopper Newley Adalene wrote: ‘Good luck to the Clacton staff [who are] hanging in limbo.

‘They are so loyal staying until the end. Wishing you all the best in your next chapter.’

George Sparkes added: ‘Another nail in the coffin for Clacton. Like Colchester, [the High Street] is slowly dying. I feel so sorry for the staff. They are so lovely and polite.’

The high street brand brought in administrators last month, and after a rescue bid from HMV failed all 400 shops are set to close in October.

Rivals B&M bought up to 51 branches as part of a £13 million deal, while Poundland owners Pepco agreed on a deal to buy up to 71 branches which will be rebranded under the Poundland name.

The Range has also purchased the Wilko brand name and website, and will sell Wilko products in its stores.

Despite this thousands of workers face redundancy and a final farewell is officially on the cards.

Lisa Wilkinson, granddaughter of founder James Kempsey Wilkinson, worked her way up the company over 20 years and helped oversee it until earlier this year.

She insists managers threw ‘everything and everything again at trying to make Wilko a success’.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, she said: ‘When people are looking at how this happened, they want it to be a single big thing that was seismic, and it wasn’t.

‘It’s a whole load of things that have just added up to a seismic thing over time and which mean we have ended up in the place where we’ve ended up, which is a very sad place.

Here is the full list of stores set to close.

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