Wilko (retailer)

Wilko Retail Ltd., formerly Wilkinson Cash Stores (1930 - 1941) and Wilkinson Hardware Stores (1941 - 2014) is a British high-street chain which sells homewares and household goods. The company was founded in Leicester by James Kemsey Wilkinson in 1930, and remains in the hands of the founding family today.[4]

Wilko Retail Ltd.
Private
IndustryRetail
Founded1930; 90 years ago
FounderJames Kemsey Wilkinson
HeadquartersWorksop, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
Number of locations
413 (2018)[1]
Key people
Lisa Wilkinson (Director)
Andrew Moore (Chief Commercial Officer)
ProductsBasic groceries, toiletries, consumer goods, DIY, stationery, pet supplies
Revenue £1,501 million (2014)[2]
£67 million (2014)
OwnerTony Wilkinson and Lisa Wilkinson (100%)[3]
Websitewww.wilko.com

The founder's son Tony Wilkinson joined the company as a Branch Manager in 1960 and succeeded his father as chairman in 1972, retiring in June 2005. He was replaced by his daughter, Lisa Wilkinson, and his niece, Karin Swann.[5] In 2014, Karin Swann sold her family's 50% holding in the business to Lisa Wilkinson.[3]

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. Wilko sells seasonal lines such as gardening products in the summer, as well as Christmas decorations and an expanded toys and games range from September to January.

The first own-label products sold under the Wilko brand was paint in 1973, and as of 2020 there are over 14,000 own brand products that account for over half of the annual sales.

History
2015 - present logo
2009 - 2014 logo

The first Wilkinson store was opened by James Kemsey and his fiancee Mary Cooper at 151 Charnwood Street, Leicester, in 1930, and a second store was opened in Wigston Magna, near Leicester, in 1932. A total of nine branches had been opened by 1939.[6]

The Beaconsfield store can be seen in the background in the film Brief Encounter (1945). By the end of the 1980s, the Wilkinson chain had a total of 78 stores, increasing to over 150 by the time of the founder's death, in 1997.[6]

Wilkinson opened its Scottish outlet in Castle Douglas on 23 January 2009, in a store formerly occupied by The Co-operative Group.[7] Stores were subsequently opened in Scotland that same year in Motherwell on 14 July, in Irvine in November and in Clydebank on 2 December. In 2010, the stores planned for Scotland to open were 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; examples have included the former Kwik Save store in Great Bridge (May 2008),[8] the former Safeway store in Halesowen (November 2006)[9] 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 in 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 then, Wilkinson was one of Britain's fastest growing retailers.

In 2012, Wilkinson began rebranding its stores as Wilko, after its own brand products marketed under the Wilko name, and by 2014, most stores had been rebranded.[10][11][12]

One side of the Wilkinson family, Karin Swann, sold her 50 percent share of the business to the other side of the family in 2014, leaving Tony Wilkinson, his wife Christine and Lisa Wilkinson the sole owners of the company and Lisa Wilkinson the sole chairman. Swann wanted to pursue other business interests and the decision did not represent a falling out of the family.[3]

In August 2017, Wilko began negotiations with GMB over their plan to remove over 4,000 positions. This was contrasted unfavourably with reports that Lisa Wilkinson had just received a £3m dividend.[13]

In March 2018, Wilko began to sell 285 of its own brand products in Dubai through ACE stores, marking the first time that Wilko has sold through another retailer.[14]

In June 2020, Warpaint London, a color cosmetics company, has signed a deal with Wilko, a high street homeware shop, to sell those items in UK shops.[15]

Warehouses and distribution

The company's first warehouse and offices opened in 1938 and were located in existing premises in Syston, Charnwood. Wilko's first purpose-built warehouse on Brighton Road, Leicester, opened in 1937. In 1970 the head office and warehouse were relocated to Carlton-in-Lindrick, Nottinghamshire, and a 'high-bay' stacking system was installed. Wilko's current main distribution centre (DC1) opened in 1995 and is located in Manton Wood, Worksop, Nottinghamshire. At the time of opening, it had the fastest sorting system in the UK. A second distribution centre (DC2) was opened in Magor, South Wales in 2000.[16]

The company awarded a five-year logistics contract to Wincanton plc in March 2017 replacing Canute Haulage Group after 29 years.[17] In September 2019 the GMB Union announced that its members would strike over a new weekend working proposal at the distribution centres. The strikes planned for 4 dates in October 2019 were called off after an improved offer was made by Wilko. [18]

Marketing and brand

Advertising is concentrated in the press, such as 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 brand was unveiled in December 2008. Designed by Jupiter Creative,[19] the brand was showcased in new format stores in Thornaby, Northallerton (which replaced a former Woolworths store), Sheffield, Leicester, Newton Aycliffe and Walton-on-Thames as well as the Castle Douglas, Motherwell and Clydebank stores in Scotland.

Financial performance

Turnover for the year ending February 2013 was in excess of £1.5 billion.[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[20] 1,559 57.7 60.8
29 January 2010[21] 1,556 65.4 62.9
31 January 2009[21][22] 1,449 32.2 31.6
1 February 2008[23] 1,364 88 50.3
2 February 2007[24][25] 1,246 85 48.4
27 January 2006[26] 1,135 25.7
1 January 2005[27] 1,116 54.3
1 January 2004[28] 1,045 56.5
31 January 2003[29] 922 44.7
2 February 2002[30] 817 36.6
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gollark: Let me just find the section in the 2017-2018 report.
gollark: The government releases longitudinal employment outcomes reports.
gollark: After 5 years.
gollark: Maths degrees are some of the highest-paying ones here!

References
  1. Holmes, David (29 February 2016). "Wilko opens bigger Chester store on March 3". The Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  2. "Wilkinson Annual Report 2012" (PDF).
  3. Ruddick, Graham (2 August 2014). "Wilkinson family split after 84 years in retail". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  4. Ruddick, Graham (7 July 2015). "Wilkinson family net £63m by selling stake in retail empire". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  5. "Rich List 2013: No.=16 - Tony Wilkinson (£480m)". Birmingham Post. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  6. "Wilko | Corporate | Home". corporate.wilko.com. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  7. [http://www.retail-week.com/wilkinson-to-open-first-store-in-scotland/1437591 Wilkinson to open first store in Scotland | News | Retail Week
  8. "Hundreds seek Wilkinson jobs". www.expressandstar.com.
  9. "New Wilko's brings 60 jobs « Express & Star".
  10. "Wilko — Annual Review 2012" (PDF). Wilko Corporate. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  11. Holland, Tiffany (22 April 2014). "Wilkinson rebrands store estate to 'Wilko' matching new strapline". Retail Week. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  12. Lanyon, Daniel (16 March 2013). "Wilkinson rebrand to 'Wilko' gathers pace". The Grocer. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  13. Ahmed, Murad (11 August 2017). "Wilko looks at cutting more than 4,000 jobs". Financial Times. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  14. "A bargain British brand is here in Dubai". DW. 4 March 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  15. "Warpaint London products to be launched in Wilko stores". sharecast. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  16. "Wilko | Corporate | Home". corporate.wilko.com. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  17. "Wincanton wins five-year contract with wilko". Post and Parcel. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  18. "Wilko strike: Workers suspend action after 'last ditch' offer". BBC. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  19. "The home of family value: a new-look brand unveiled for Wilkinson". Jupiter Creative. 12 December 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  20. "Wilkinson Annual Report 2011" (PDF).
  21. "Wilkinson Annual Report 2010" (PDF).
  22. "Wilkinson Retail Analysis 2009". IGD. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  23. "Wilkinson reports robust sales growth". IGD Retail Analysis. 5 August 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  24. "Wilkinson reveals strong profit growth". IGD. 29 June 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  25. "FastTrack 100 - 2007". Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  26. "FastTrack 100 - 2006".
  27. "FastTrack 100 - 2005".
  28. "FastTrack 100 - 2004".
  29. "FastTrack 100 - 2003".
  30. "FastTrack 100 - 2002".
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