HIGH street brand Wilko announced yesterday (Thursday, August 10) that it had collapsed into administration, The Standard visited its Ellesmere Port store to speak to shoppers about the news.

Wilko is the largest remaining independent retailer in the UK, operating some 400 stores and employing around 12,000 staff. The Port Arcades shop sits opposite a vacant B&M store, with several other units in the shopping centre also lying empty.

The store already has a large sign stating: "Administration Sale. 1000's of reductions throughout the store!"

The Marina Walk shop is one of two in the Cheshire West area, with another located on Foregate Street in Chester.

Chester and District Standard:

Responding to the Wilko announcement, Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, said: "This is obviously a potentially huge blow for the town. I am thinking about the welfare of the staff at this difficult time.

"However, It is not uncommon in administrations of this nature for there to be a renegotiation of the lease to enable a new owner to continue trading. I will be speaking to the landlord shortly to see if there is any prospect of that taking place.

"Given the store’s popularity in the town, I do hope the Wilko store can be saved."

"A crying shame."

Several shoppers expressed their disappointment at the news that the brand's stores were now at risk.

One shopper said: "I think it's a shame if it goes down, I come here every week. It's got everything you could need, I go in for the ironmongery and paints. It's a one-stop shop really."

"It's a crying shame."

Many echoed these sentiments, saying that it was a regular stop of theirs whilst shopping in the town.

Sue Franklin from Great Sutton said: "They've got a bit of everything, its so handy to come down and get paint and wallpaper or you can go to the other side and pick up homewares and pet food.

"I would really miss it, it's a great local shop."

Jim Conroy, who travels to the store from nearby Eastham, said that the potential loss of the store would mean that shoppers would have to travel further to find many of the products that Wilko stock.

"When you think that you can get anything and everything in there, particularly for gardening and DIY it would be a pity so see somewhere like that go.

"There used to be a B&Q around the corner, but that's gone now and there isn't another shop where you can buy bits like that around here."

Susan and Michael Gage from Little Sutton said that Wilko was one of several struggling stores in the area.

Susan said: "It's getting terrible, everything seems to be shutting. We come down here because there's hardly anything in Little Sutton."

Michael added: "It's only getting worse, everyone is having to go to Cheshire Oaks and places like that. B&M closed a while ago and nothing has been done with that space."

Mark Harrington said that the change was symptomatic of the changes to the way that we shop, with more people favouring online stores and home delivery.

"[The change] is huge, just look around and see how many empty shops there is here.

"At one time it was Woolworths, and this looks like it might go the same way.

"I'm guilty, like we all are, of ordering stuff online nowadays, but of course Amazon can give you it the next morning, so it tough to compete.

Similarly, Mark's wife Lynn said that she would prefer to shop on the high street, but that this was becoming more difficult.

Stores remain open as usual

Wilko confirmed to The Standard on Monday (August 7) that no store closures had been announced and its locations would remain open as usual. The brand has however suspended its home delivery service.

Gordon Brothers, which owns the Laura Ashley brand, is reported to be among those to have held discussions over a possible deal to secure Wilko’s future.

Mark Jackson, CEO of Wilko has previously said: "We’ll continue to progress discussions with interested parties with the aim of completing a transaction which preserves the business and will encourage those interested parties we’re in discussions with to move as fast as possible.

"We continue to believe that our robust turnaround plan, with significant re-stabilisation cost savings in progress, will deliver a profitable Wilko and maximise the significant opportunities that we know exist."