THE closing date of the Wilko store in Andover has been confirmed.
The Bridge Street store will close its doors for the last time on Thursday, September 21, as part of the company's broader shutdown.
This closure is among 124 Wilko stores across the South East and London that are ceasing operations on or before the same date.
Wilkinson Hardware Stores Ltd, Wilko Ltd, and wilko.com Ltd, which are currently under administration, have been exploring options to save the business since their appointment on August 10.
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However, despite extensive efforts, it has been determined that no significant part of the Wilko operations can be rescued as a going concern.
As a result, the joint administrators have informed all staff that they will commence the closure of all Wilko stores, two distribution centres, and the majority of activities of the support centre.
This move will result in the redundancies of approximately 9,100 employees across the affected stores.
Employees at 124 stores, including the Andover location, have been notified that these outlets will close on or before Thursday, September 21.
The timings for the closure of the remaining 222 stores will be announced at a later date.
The closure of distribution centre (DC) operations is expected to take place on Friday, September 15, with most of the remaining 886 DC employees being made redundant on that date.
Further redundancies of the remaining 210 support centre employees will occur during September and early October as operations wind down.
While the administrators continue to collaborate with potential buyers for different parts of the business, they are confident that transactions will be completed in the coming days.
The dedicated employee team will provide support throughout the redundancy claims process, and the employee helpline will remain active to address any queries.
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Zelf Hussain, joint administrator, expressed appreciation for the dedication shown by all team members during this challenging period.
He said: "Despite the significant and intensive efforts of both ourselves and Putman Investments - the remaining party interested in buying a significant part of the business as a going concern - a transaction could not be progressed due to the inability to reduce central infrastructure costs quickly enough to make a deal commercially viable.
“The dedication shown by all team members during this period has been hugely humbling and we are grateful for the patience and understanding they have shown. As with those who have already been given notice of redundancy, we will guide and support those team members impacted over the coming weeks through the redundancy claims process. We also continue to collaborate closely with relevant agencies and engage with any potential employers to help facilitate a quick return into new employment for those impacted.
“We continue to work with potential buyers for different parts of the business and are confident of completing transactions in the coming days.”
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