LEIGH'S town centre Wilko has been named on a list of stores that will turn into Poundland.
After weeks of uncertainty surrounding the discount chain after it was announced it had fallen into administration, it looks like the end of the line for Wilko after numerous take over bids have failed.
It was revealed that B&M bought 51 Wilko stores for their site location last week, but not for the management of staff.
It has now been announced that Leigh is on the list of 71 stores that will convert into a Poundland.
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The GMB Union, which represents more than 3,000 Wilko staff, revealed that it is likely that all of Wilko's 400 stores would close following a meeting with the retailer's administrators yesterday (Monday, September 11).
With 12,500 jobs put at risk, all stores are expected to close or convert by early October and dates have been set for certain shop's closures.
Staff at 124 stores were been informed that their outlet will close before Thursday, September 21, before todays news.
Leigh's Lord Street Wilko was on the list of stores that were expected to be shut by Sunday, September 17.
Zelf Hussain, joint administrator, says: “Despite the significant and intensive efforts of both ourselves and Putman Investments - the remaining party interested in buying a significant part of the business as a going concern - a transaction could not be progressed due to the inability to reduce central infrastructure costs quickly enough to make a deal commercially viable
“The dedication shown by all team members during this period has been hugely humbling and we are grateful for the patience and understanding they have shown.
"As with those who have already been given notice of redundancy, we will guide and support those team members impacted over the coming weeks through the redundancy claims process. We also continue to collaborate closely with relevant agencies and engage with any potential employers to help facilitate a quick return into new employment for those impacted.
“We continue to work with potential buyers for different parts of the business and are confident of completing transactions in the coming days.”
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