Wilko (retailer)

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Wilko Retail
Private
Industry Retail
Founded 1930
Headquarters Worksop, United Kingdom
Number of locations
 379 (2015)
Key people
 Karin Swann (Joint Chairwoman)
Lisa Wilkinson (Joint Chairwoman)
Sean Toal (Chief Operating Officer)[1]
Products Basic groceries, consumer goods, DIY, stationery, pets
Revenue Decrease £1,501 million (2014)[2]
Increase £67 million (2014)
Owner Tony and Lisa Wilkinson (100%)
Website www.wilko.com

Wilko Retail (formerly Wilkinson Hardware Stores) is a British high-street chain which sells homewares and household goods.

Founded in 1930 as Wilkinson Cash Stores by James Kemsey Wilkinson, the company has remained largely in the hands of the founding family.[citation needed] When Tony Wilkinson, the son of the founder, retired as chairman after 45 years in June 2005, he was replaced by his niece, Karin Swann, and his daughter, Lisa Wilkinson.[citation needed]

Product range

The Wilko product range concentrates on household essentials, including homewares, textiles, DIY, cleaning products, health and beauty lines, stationery, confectionery, pet products and kitchen and bathroom goods. A large proportion of the range is made up of own-label products sold under the Wilko brand, although like other retailers Wilko has started to use private label brands.

Stores and distribution

A high-street Wilko store, using the 2009–2014 logo (2010)
A high-street Wilko store, using the 1977–2009 logo (2007)

The first Wilkinson store was opened in Leicester in 1930, increasing to a total of nine branches by 1940; the Beaconsfield store can be seen in the background in the 1945 film Brief Encounter. By the end of the 1980s Wilkinson had a total of 78 stores, increasing to over 150 by the time of the founder's death in 1997.[3]

Wilkinson opened their first Scottish outlet in Castle Douglas on 23 January 2009, in a store formerly occupied by The Co-operative Group.[4] Stores were subsequently opened in Scotland that same year in Motherwell on 17 July, in Irvine in November and in Clydebank on 2 December. During 2010, the latest stores planned for Scotland set to open are Hamilton, Kilmarnock, Greenock and Livingston.

Wilkinson has a trend of taking over redundant former stores rather than building new ones, particularly in the West Midlands; notable examples include the former Kwik Save store in Great Bridge (May 2008),[5] the former Safeway store in Halesowen (November 2006)[6] and the former Marks & Spencer store in Dudley (July 1991). The opening of a store in Dudley was an example of a trend of the retailer to take over large units in town centres left vacant by the relocation of big retail names to out of town locations, as Marks & Spencer had closed its Dudley store during 1990 in favour of a new store at the nearby Merry Hill Shopping Centre.

The Dudley store was so successful, that a £250,000 expansion to the upper level of the building (initially only the ground floor was used) was completed three years after its opening. By this stage, Wilkinson was one of Britain's fastest growing retailers.[7]

In 2012, Wilkinson began rebranding its stores as Wilko, after its own brand products marketed under the Wilko name, and by 2014, most stores were rebranded.[8][9][10]

Marketing

The former Wilkinson logo, from 1978–2009. A shortened version, "Wilko", was used on own brand merchandise.
File:Wilkinson logo.svg
The modernised Wilkinson logo, used from 2009–2014, although many stores retained the original logo, until the Wilko rebrand

Wilkinson's advertising is concentrated in the press, such as through inserts included with local newspapers. Advertising emphasises value for money, with in-store promotion encouraging customers to purchase more than one item when they visit the store.

A revamped version of the Wilkinson brand was unveiled in December 2008. Designed by Jupiter Creative,[11] the brand was showcased in new format stores in Thornaby, Northallerton, (which replaced a former Woolworths store), Sheffield, Leicester, Newton Aycliffe & Walton-on-Thames, as well as the Castle Douglas, Motherwell & Clydebank stores in Scotland.

Financial success

Turnover for the year ending February 2013 was in excess of £1.5B.[2]

Year ending Turnover (£m) Trading profit (£m) Operating profit (£m)
1 February 2013[2] 1,530 27.6 25.3
2 February 2012[2] 1,565 23.0 19.3
28 January 2011[12] 1,559 57.7 60.8
29 January 2010[13] 1,556 65.4 62.9
31 January 2009[13][14] 1,449 32.2 31.6
1 February 2008[15] 1,364 88 50.3
2 February 2007[16][17] 1,246 85 48.4
27 January 2006[18] 1,135 25.7
1 January 2005[19] 1,116 54.3
1 January 2004[20] 1,045 56.5
31 January 2003[21] 922 44.7
2 February 2002[22] 817 36.6

Partnerships

Wilkinson products are also supplied to Manx retailer Shoprite.

Stores

References

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External links

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