Poundland is set to re-open a further nine former Wilko stores across the UK this weekend under their brand. 

This is the fourth round of re-openings and will take the total number of former Wilko sites operating as Poundlands across the UK to 37.

Wilko entered administration in August leaving all 400 stores and 12,500 employees at risk. 

Administrators at PwC were forced to sell off Wilko’s assets after failing to secure a rescue deal for the whole business.

More than 250 Wilko stores have shut across the UK, with the final round of closures taking place in early October. 

Chelmsford Weekly News: More than 250 Wilko stores have closed for good across the UK over the past few months.More than 250 Wilko stores have closed for good across the UK over the past few months. (Image: PA)

However, there are a number of sites across the UK that have been saved and will relaunched under a new high-street brand. 

Fellow high street retailer B&M bought 51 Wilko stores at the beginning of September in a deal thought to be worth around £13 million. 

While The Range agreed to a deal to buy Wilko’s brand for around £5 million.

Poundland owner Pepco also agreed on a deal earlier this month to buy 71 Wilko stores from administrator PwC following the collapse of the high street chain.

The former Wilko stores re-opening as Poundlands

Poundland revealed it is set to re-open another nine former Wilko stores under their brand on Saturday, October 21:

The 9 former Wilko sites, re-opening as Poundland stores on Saturday (October 21) are:

  • Brentwood
  • Altrincham
  • Worksop
  • West Ealing
  • Wembley
  • Sale
  • Seaham
  • Selly Oak
  • Bishops Stortford

This is the fourth round of former Wilko stores Poundland has re-opened. 

The stores already re-opened as Poundlands are:

  • Broad Street, Chell Road, Stafford, Staffordshire, West Midlands
  • Pendle Rise Shopping Centre, Nelson, Lancashire
  • The Peel Centre, Great Portwood Street, Stockport, Greater Manchester
  • The Mall, Church Street, Eccles, Manchester
  • London Street, Southport, Merseyside
  • Lord Street, Leigh, Greater Manchester
  • East Street, Barking, London
  • High Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire
  • Bede Precinct, Viking Centre, Jarrow, South Tyneside
  • The Broadway, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
  • Melton Mowbray
  • Matlock
  • Chepstow
  • Nottingham
  • Worcester
  • Ellesmere Port
  • Brigg
  • Redruth
  • Ferndown
  • Pontypool
  • Ripley
  • Bolton
  • Gateshead
  • Bicester
  • Peterborough
  • Sheffield
  • Cramlington
  • Aberdare
  • Rugeley

After Saturday's (October 21) re-openings, there will be a total of 37 former Wilko stores trading as Poundlands across the UK.

Poundland said it aims to open all the Wilko stores it bought by the end of 2023 before giving them all a full makeover in 2024 so they become “fully operational Poundlands”.

Wilko staff offered priority access to Poundland jobs

Poundland said it is continuing to "prioritise" former Wilko staff for roles amid the raft of store re-openings across the UK.

No workers were directly transferred to Poundland as part of the rescue deal, but Poundland has encouraged former Wilko staff to apply for roles and said it would “prioritise” them for positions at the stores.

Poundland said it has already made hundreds of job offers to former Wilko staff, with that number "increasing day-by-day”.