Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Beleagured Wilko staff in Worksop may finally have some good news to enjoy after the town store was listed among those being bought by the Pepco Group – the owners of Poundland.

The Worksop-based retailler collapsed into administration last month and union bosses have confirmed there is now ‘no prospect’ for saving thousands of jobs after a proposed rescue bid fell through.

Rival retailer B&M has announced it has bought 51 Wilko stores, but has so far not said which ones they are.

And joint administrators PricewaterhouseCooper have now announced at they have entered into an agreement to provide Pepco Group with the option to acquire up to 71 sites to be opened as Poundland stores, after the administration trading period concludes at those sites.

Worksop's Wilko store is one of 71 set to be bought by Poundland owners Pepco Group. Photo: Google

Collapse of Wilko ‘like a pit closure for Worksop’

Edward Williams, joint administrator, said: “Alongside the previously announced agreement with B&M, we’re confident this sale will create a platform for future employment opportunities for people including current Wilko team members at up to 122 locations.

"We will continue to engage with other retailers around any interest in other Wilko sites and are confident of completing a sale of the brand and intellectual property within the coming days.”

The 71 stores included in the agreement with Pepco and 51 stores included in the agreement with B&M currently employ more than 3,200 Wilko team members in total.

The following stores have been included in the Pepco agreement:

Aberdare

Alfreton

Alnwick

Altrincham

Ammanford

Ashby

Barking

Bedminster

Beeston

Bicester

Bishop Stortford

Bletchley

Bolton

Brentwood

Brigg

Cambridge

Chepstow

Coalville

Cramlington

Droitwich

Eccles

Edmonton Green

Ellesmere Port

Ferndown

Gateshead

Grays

Greenock

Grimsby

Havant

Hayes

Headingley

Hull (Hessle Road)

Hillsborough

Hitchin

Jarrow

Killingworth

Kimberley

Leicester (Lee Circle)

Leek

Leigh

Lichfield

Maidenhead

Matlock

Melton Mowbray

Nelson

Northallerton

Orton

Pembroke Dock

Peterlee

Pontefract

Pontypool

Redhill

Redruth

Ripley

Rugeley

Sale

Seaham

Selly Oak

Shrewsbury

Darwin Centre

South Shields

Southport

Stafford

Stamford

Stockport

Thornaby

Wellington

Wembley

West Ealing

Wombwell

Worcester

Worksop

Hope for Worksop Wilko staff as store set to be bought by Poundland owners PepCo Group