Wilko is set to return to the high street before the end of the year, new brand owner SDS Superstores has confirmed.

CDS Superstores, which also owns and operates The Range, acquired the Wilko branding and intellectual property in a £5 million deal after the retailer fell into administration in August. Some 71 vacated stores were acquired by Poundland, with plans to reopen the stores under its own brand.

Making its first statement of intent since closing the deal in mid-September, CDS Superstores is eyeing an aggressive roll-out of the refreshed Wilko into England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – the latter being a market where Wilko had previously not entered.

The company said that it would launch five new concept locations before Christmas in locations including Plymouth and Exeter, with two in the South East and one in the North. Additional stores will continue to open throughout 2024, with SDS saying that it would prioritise former Wilko staff in the recruitment process.

CDS had previously relaunched the Wilko website earlier this month and started introducing Wilko-branded products to The Range’s retail locations.

Commenting on the news, CDS Superstores chief executive officer Alex Simpkin said: “For the majority of its 93 years, wilko was an incredibly successful business that gave its customers exactly what they needed to get their home and garden jobs sorted.

“The public reaction to the loss of wilko stores was undeniable. It’s clear that there’s a huge love for wilko and we’ve seen an encouraging demand for the return of its own-brand products. That’s why we’ve taken the decision to reintroduce Wilko back to many of the high streets and communities that it used to so proudly serve.”

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