Retail Gazette has reported that online marketplace, OnBuy has made a last-minute bid to buy the Wilko brand.
The news came on the same day that administrators, PwC, announced redundancies would be made next week after the £90m bid from M2 Capital fell through. PwC had confirmed yesterday (Thursday 31 August, 2023), that about a third of the 1,400 staff at Wilko’s HQ and DCs would be made redundant in the next few weeks, after M2 failed to provide proof of funding.
OnBuy is thought to want to continue trading under the Wilko.com name, although it is unlikely the business will want to buy any of the Wilko stores.
PwC is still considering bids for parts of the business and Sky News has reported that owner of HMV, Doug Putman may acquire more than 300 of the 400 Wilko stores, saving between 8,000 and 9,000 jobs. PwC are said to be consulting creditors on the terms that would see Putman’s deal accepted.
