Wellington Wilko: 'Feeling of loss' over shop closure

Retailer Elisa Thomason said there were a lot of empty units in the town

Shoppers and retailers have expressed sadness over the closure of a Wilko store that has been part of a Shropshire town for 30 years.

A sign outside the shop in Market Street, Wellington, said it would close on Tuesday and thanked people for their "custom and loyalty over the years".

Elisa Thomason, a retailer in the town, said it would be "really missed".

All 400 Wilko stores will close by early October after the firm fell into administration in August.

The lease of the Wellington premises is among 71 which have been taken over by Poundland, which has said Wilko staff would have priority in applying for new jobs at these stores.

A sign outside the shop thanked loyal customers and staff

Managers in Wellington said on the sign: "Many of the team have been here from the very beginning so please be kind at this very unsettling time.

"I would like to thank every team member for all the support, hard work and dedication and wish them all the very best for the future. It's been a blast!"

Ms Thomason, of Little Betty's Gift Company, said Wilko had been a "main place for people to come to" and believed the shop's loss could impact other businesses in the town.

Another independent retailer, Kelly, who owns Little Green Pantry, said the closure would leave a "big gap" because it had many regular customers and long-serving staff.

"So there's a big feeling of loss in the town actually," she said.

Kelly said the closure would leave a "gap" in Wellington

Wilko, which struggled with sharp losses and a cash shortage, had remained popular in Wellington, some shoppers also told the BBC.

One woman said she and her daughter were disappointed it was closing.

"We both love going at Christmas time because they do lovely, unusual gifts, plus we've got two little dogs and there's certain treats from there we like - and obviously wallpaper if you want to decorate your house," she said.

Another customer said the store's closure was a "shame and shock".

"I bought most of my stuff from there when I was working on my house," he said.

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