The self-made billionaire had planned to keep the retailer online only but quickly shifted gears following a nationwide campaign for the brand to return to the high street.

“I was amazed at the love for the Wilko brand…especially in the north, it was like a bloody national outcry.  I’m pleased to own it and I’m quite proud to make it work again,” he tells Retail Gazette at the retailer’s latest store opening in Poole.

“It would be an absolutely cardinal sin to not keep this brand alive,” he affirms.

But, as Dawson says, it is now “well and truly alive” and is “getting all the investment”.

Now with six stores under its belt, and the first five turning a profit, the blueprint for Wilko 2.0 is now firmly in place. Dawson says “it’s all systems go now” and has grand ambitions, with plans to open up to 300 Wilko stores over the next five years.

What does Wilko 2.0 look like?

The retailer has taken a somewhat cautious approach to reopening the Wilko brand on the high street, with Dawson sharing that the team “purposefully held back” while rival discount chains such as Poundland that acquired former Wilko outlets rushed to reopen them.

However, for The Range owner CDS – which stands for Chris Dawson Superstores – the first set of openings have acted as a trial for the Wilko team to test new store concepts, with group chief digital and marketing officer Ben Exall revealing the Poole opening marked the start of its rollout phase.

The team has been tweaking the product mix in store after and Dawson admits it didn’t have enough essentials in its first tranche of stores.

“Wilko was extremely famous for health and beauty, cleaning and toiletries, and your sort of bits and bobs DIY – you’re not expecting a full garden set,” he says.

The first three stores in Exeter, Plymouth and Luton boasted more branded products than ever before, a larger space dedicated to seasonal products, and a bulked out in-store home and DIY section.

Exall says: “The first five stores are all about test and learn, trialling new things, asking customers for feedback. Customers told us they wanted more health and beauty and more cleaning, and that’s what this [Poole] store has got.”

Its new owner has also brought back Wilko’s food-to-go range, which its previous management pulled over concerns it wasn’t able to compete with the top supermarkets, and has also introduced a new in-store partnership with Iceland.

Dawson says the team have now got the product mix right in store and adds that in six months “you’ll find 80% of your Wilko products again”.

Exall adds the business has also been expanding its arts and crafts ranges, and food and garden products, as well as investing in more peripheral services “to ensure that customers don’t split their wallet across multiple retailers”.

“We do insurance, we do tool hire, we do key cutting, we do lottery,” he says. However Exall emphasises: “They’re not the reason to come to us. The reason to come to us is your essential everyday product and that’s what we’ve been investing in and increasing our ranges.”

The group is also planning to expand its Café Eighty Nine concept to more of its stores following a successful trial in the Exeter branch.

Ready, steady, go

To help with the retailer’s expansion across the UK, the business recently hired Matalan’s property director Antony Darbyshire to head up the rollout.

Dawson shares “there’s a hell of a lot of stores in the pipeline”, adding that the team have hand-picked the locations and are “aware of what was good and bad for Wilko” previously.

He is tight-lipped on new store locations but he believes the new Wilko format will work far and wide. Dawson says it will target “all the obvious ones in Liverpool, Manchester and all the big cities but [the store concept] will do the Loughboroughs in this world too”.

London will also see the return of Wilko, he promises, as Dawson shares the brand has “already got a massive internet presence there”.

Online has a big role in CDS’s plans for reviving the brand and according to Dawson’s predictions, its ecommerce platform will soon “treble in size”.

The retailer recommenced trading online less than a month after it was snapped up by CDS Superstores, with a website featuring thousands of product lines across the home and garden.

It has quickly expanded to over 100,000 products in 10 months, boosted by Wilko’s first-ever kitchen range, which launched in April, followed by a bathroom range.

Exall says the site now turns over “double the amount” than it did before and its most recent home ranges are “performing strongly”.

The group has bolstered Wilko stores’ digital capabilities and installed self-service terminals points around the shopfloor to allow customers to browse and shop online.

The retailer has also piggybacked off sister brand The Range’s 200-plus store footprint to boost its click-and-collect reach, which is available across both retailers within an hour. The group is also selling Wilko-branded products in The Range’s stores, which Dawson says are “selling like hell”.

The owner shares there more developments on the brand’s click-and-collect service are in the pipeline, including its first collection truck at the upcoming Motocross GP festival this weekend.

“We’ve got lots of orders already,” he says, explaining the group will be bringing in back up stock as it has “one truck completely sold out”.

“They always forget things with their campers,” he notes, explaining the high demand for the service.

“We might be on to something big here,” says Dawson, as Exall jokes “watch out Glastonbury”.

Growing his empire

Larger-than-life self-made billionaire Dawson is known as Del Boy thanks to the distinctive DE11 BOY number plate on his Rolls-Royce, and shares a similar story to his Peckham-based idol.

He started off as a market trader before setting up The Range in his Plymouth hometown in 1989.

Dubbed the working man’s John Lewis, the home, garden and furniture specialist has grown to more than 200 stores across the UK and has netted Dawson a rumoured £2.5bn fortune in the process.

The Wilko acquisition has grown his retail empire, but does he see the opportunity for further expansion?

Last month, The Range owner was reported to have approached Homebase owner Hilco Capital about acquiring the up-for-sale DIY chain.

However, the retail entrepreneur shrugs off the speculation: “We look at every brand. We’re not looking at it no more than anybody else,” he says in his West Country accent.

“We’re looking at loads of things – any angle to open more stores and different brands,” he explains. However, he adds: “I think they put two and two together and made nine.”

That said, when asked where he sees an opportunity to expand his retail portfolio, Dawson identifies garden centres as a ripe area.

“Standalone garden centres, but we have our hands full rolling out [Wilko]. We’re not looking for more work, but garden centres will be the next obvious one for us.”

Watch this space to see if Dawson and his team can work their magic on another retail business. After all, he who dares wins.

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The DIY chain’s branches in Pollokshaws in Glasgow, Christchurch in Bournemouth, and Kings Heath in Birmingham will reopen their doors as The Range Superstores on 17 January.

CDS, which owns The Range, Homebase, and Wilko, said the new-format locations “combines the exceptional product variety The Range is known for with the home improvement expertise of Homebase”.

It plans to open up to 10 new stores per month, converting up to 70 Homebase locations, throughout 2025 in a move that will secure as much as 1,600 jobs.

The stores will house ‘Garden Centres by Homebase’ and selected shops will also feature ‘Kitchens by Homebase’, offering customers bespoke kitchen solutions.

CDS said the DIY chain’s website will remain transactional under the management of the Joint Administrators until it is handed over in early 2025 to which it will be immediately relaunched under its new ownership.

Group chief executive Alex Simpkin said: “We’re fully committed to retaining the best of Homebase’s heritage while introducing the broader product range and value that customers expect from us as The Range.

“While those Homebase stores acquired by CDS will continue to trade as they are during the transition period, we’re focused on ensuring a seamless transfer of these locations into our new store format.

“We’re also eager to help consumers nationwide by investing in the Homebase brand with the relaunch of www.homebase.co.uk, and expect to have this platform live to support families in all of their home improvement endeavours very soon.”

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Shops in Arbroath, Baillieston and Kirkintilloch are set to open next year, while refurbishments are planned for its Carluke, Glenrothes and Stirling stores.

The German discounter said the investment supports its growth ambitions north of the border and enables it to keep up with growing consumer demand.

In 2025, Aldi will also launch a recruitment drive for over 100 new logistics team members to work at its Bathgate Regional Distribution Centre.

Earlier this month, the supermarket unveiled plans to invest around £650m across its UK store network next year

The latest investment comes as the supermarket celebrated 30 years in Scotland in 2024, welcoming 58m customers through its doors in Scotland over the year.

As well as its new stores, Aldi has committed to extending or refurbishing six of its existing stores over the next two years, with an extension planned for Galashiels, refurbishments planned for Linlithgow, Glenrothes and Stirling and further upgrades in Hamilton and Carluke.

Regional managing director for Aldi Scotland Sandy Mitchell said: “As we look ahead to 2025, we remain committed to reaching more customers than ever before, with the opening of more stores and increased investment in Scotland.

“This move is a testament to our belief in Scotland’s vibrant economy and the exceptional quality of its suppliers. We remain committed to championing Scotland, creating local jobs, and strengthening our relationships with local partners as we continue to expand and enhance our offering.”

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The site has posted an alert at the top of B&M’s page after it found evidence that someone had been trying to aggressively boost the employer ranking for the discount store chain, The Times reported.

Glassdoor said that alerts of this kind are only posted when it finds “particularly aggressive” attempts by employers or others to influence or manipulate the integrity of reviews.

The website reads: “We do this so our users will know that the employer tried to undermine our ratings system.”

A B&M spokeswoman told the publication that the retailer, which has a Glassdoor rating of 3.1 out of 5, “has a zero-tolerance approach to artificial review rankings”.

She added: “The banner appeared some years ago and we have implemented new policies and procedures to prevent such practices. We look forward to working with Glassdoor to have the banner removed.”

B&M was booted from the UK’s FTSE 100 earlier this month in the latest reshuffle of the London Stock Exchange after its shares had plunged 21% during the past three months.

The retailer reported its adjusted operating profit fall 1.8% to £258m in the six months to 28 September as it faced higher costs following an increase in stores and investment in its supply chain in France.

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The discount chain’s private equity owner Duke Street Capital, which bought the retailer in 2007, is understood to have drafted in Teneo to handle to process, The Times reported.

It follows the news that TOFS was working with Deloitte last year to kick off a sale process.

A spokesman for the retailer told the outlet: “Like many retailers, the company continually reviews its outlook and is exploring a range of strategic options.

“The business continues to trade as normal and is expected to perform well over the busy Christmas period,” they added.

It is understood that Duke Street has been attempting to shift TOFS for several years. It first began talking with prospective advisers in 2013 about a sale, which at the time was said to value the chain at more than £100m.

It later appointed investment bank Rothschild in 2016 to conduct a strategic review which was expected to lead to an auction.

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The German discounter said this includes the development of new stores in Fulham Broadway in London, Billericay in Essex, and Cheadle in Stoke-on-Trent, with the retailer targeting around 30 new store openings in total in 2025.

This forms part of Aldi’s package of annual investment to accelerate its expansion across the UK’s towns and cities.

It said “the rate of investment in 2025 continues from an equally busy new store opening programme in 2024”, with the retailer opening in new locations such as Totton in Hampshire, Cribbs Causeway in Bristol and Pwllheli in Gwynedd in recent weeks.

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The move forms part of its long-term target of 1,500 stores across the UK, with the supermarket investing £800m in expanding its UK footprint this year alone.

The plans will see it launch a further eight stores at the start of 2025 followed by around 40 more in its next financial year.

Aldi UK and Ireland CEO Giles Hurley said: “At Aldi, our unwavering commitment has always been to provide Britain with the best value groceries.

“The demand for our unbeatable prices is now at an all-time high, which gives us the confidence to continue investing in Britain to provide greater access to our award-winning products at the lowest prices.

“We recognise that there are still areas without an Aldi store, so our expansion plans for 2025 are designed to address some of these gaps as we work towards our long-term goal of 1,500 UK stores.”

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The group’s chief executive Stephen Borchert told Reuters the business was looking at its options “to bring [Poundland] back on track” after it booked a £675m impairment charge on its UK subsidiary due to a weaker performance against increasing competition and cost challenges.

When asked if Poundland would stay in the group, he said he would say more on the group’s strategy for the discount chain at Pepco’s Capital Markets Day on March 6.

Poundland’s profitability more than halved as underlying EBITDA dropped 62% to £23m (€28m) in the year to September as sales remained flat at £1.64bn (€2bn).

Borchert told the publication that Poundland “continued to face headwinds” in its new financial year, as sales continued to fall in clothing and general merchandise following the transition to Pepco-sourced product ranges.

“With the transition to the Pepco ranges I think the business lost a bit of its DNA, so we are working now as a team there to bring this back,” he said, referencing the reintroduction of more products priced at £1 in Poundland.

Earlier this year, Retail Gazette revealed the discount chain was restructuring its head office in Walsall and had put 60 jobs under consultation across its supply chain, finance, IT and property teams as it looked to cut costs across the business.

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The charge, which primarily reflects the goodwill from the Poundland acquisition, follows a 3.6% fall in like-for-like sales at the value retailer for the year ending 30 September 2024.

Overall revenue at Poundland edged up 0.2% year-on-year while EBITDA declined 21.5% to €153m (£126.6m).

The group reported a net loss of £548m for the period, driven by the impairment charge. Underlying EBITDA across the group rose 25.2% year-on-year to €944m (£781m).

The UK discounter‘s performance was largely attributed to increased competition, rising costs and particular challenges in its clothing and general merchandise ranges after transitioning to Pepco-sourced products earlier this year.

Group CEO Stephan Borchert said: “At Poundland, recent performance has been very challenging, impacted by declines in clothing and general merchandise following the transition to Pepco-sourced product ranges at the start of the year.

“We are taking swift action to get Poundland performance back on track, focusing on a return to Poundland’s strengths. We will also closely evaluate Poundland’s overall competitive positioning and requirements for future success as an FMCG-led format. We will provide further updates on Poundland during the first half of 2025.”

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Despite the difficulties at Poundland, Pepco Group posted a record revenue of £6.2bn, up 10.2% year-on-year, driven by growth in its other divisions, including Dealz. Underlying EBITDA rose by 25% to £824m, in line with guidance.

The Pepco division of the retail group also continued its expansion in Central and Eastern Europe, adding 331 new stores during the year, in comparison with 13 and 48 new stores across Poundland and Dealz Poland respectively.

Pepco Group also announced its first-ever dividend, signalling confidence in its outlook and potential future cash returns, including share buybacks.

While the group achieved strong overall growth, like-for-like revenue across the group fell by 3.2%, reflecting broader macroeconomic pressures and challenges in certain markets.

Non-executive chair Andy Bond said: “We started the year with a number of objectives which included rebuilding Pepco’s profitability in its core Central and Eastern European (CEE) market, gross margin recovery, adopting a more disciplined approach to investment with more targeted growth, reviewing underperforming areas of the business and delivering stronger cash generation. We have delivered on these objectives, but there remains more to achieve.”

Borchert added: “Pepco Group has very attractive, market-leading retail businesses, providing great product range, value and convenience to over 60 million customers each month across Europe.

“Within the Group, I see the Pepco concept itself as our key engine for future strategic and financial growth, particularly in Pepco’s CEE heartland.

“Pepco generates the vast majority of the Group’s earnings and our highest returns on capital – we plan to further build on that strong base. In the year ahead, our core focus at Pepco will be to deliver improved like-for-like revenues. Pepco’s like-for-like performance has been positive since the start of September – an encouraging start.”

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Aldi is opening four stores today (5 December) as part of its UK expansion drive, across Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, Hetton-le-Hole in Tyne and Wear, Ashton-in-Makerfield in Greater Manchester, and Macduff in Banffshire.

The new shops, which will create over 100 new jobs, follow a series of store launches in recent weeks, including new locations in Sedgley in the West Midlands, Horsham in West Sussex and Muswell Hill in London.

The openings form part of its long-term target of 1,500 stores across the UK, with the supermarket investing £800m in expanding its UK footprint this year alone.

Meanwhile, Lidl is launching six stores today in preparation for the big day.

The budget grocer has opened four new stores in Shinfield, Bovey Tracey, Downham Market, and Stirchley.

Alongside these, a new store in Connah’s Quay has replaced the town’s old Lidl, while its Chessington site has reopened following a full refurbishment and extension.

Lidl said this represented a multi-million-pound investment, leading to approximately 160 new jobs.

The move follows four new stores opening last month in Bristol, Hemel Hempstead, Ipswich, and Hoxton, and comes ahead of two further shops opening next week in Forest Gate and Caterham.

The openings form part of Lidl’s expansion plans, which will see it launch a further eight stores at the start of 2025 followed by around 40 more in its next financial year.

Lidl GB chief development officer Richard Taylor said: “As we head into December, opening six stores in a single day highlights the incredible momentum behind our expansion in our 30th year.

“This milestone reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering affordable, high-quality products to more households across the country, especially at a time of year when value matters most.”

Aldi communications director Richard Thornton said: “Our new store openings are a testament to our ongoing investment in the UK, and we’re thrilled to bring Aldi’s unbeatable prices to even more communities just in time for Christmas.

“To be opening four new stores in one day is an outstanding effort from the team and shows just how serious we are about bringing more stores to communities up and down the country.”

Lidl chief development officer Richard Taylor said: “As we head into December, opening six stores in a single day highlights the incredible momentum behind our expansion in our 30th year.

“This milestone reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering affordable, high-quality products to more households across the country, especially at a time of year when value matters most.

“Our teams are relentlessly pursuing expansion opportunities and, with every store we open, we’re taking another step towards making this vision a reality.”

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The luxury fashion brand launched High Court proceedings on Monday, claiming that the discount chain was falsely representing its goods as Burberry, Sky News reported.

It is unclear what the specific claim relates to but B&M has sold a line of “furberry” branded pet accessories, including dog bowls, toys, animal blankets, mats and beds this year. The items featured a print with red, white and black checks on a beige background.

Burberry said it will not be commenting on the High Court action and B&M did not respond to the publication’s request to comment.

The luxury brand unveiled a turnaround programme in November after it posted an adjusted operating loss of £41m in the six months ending 28 September.

The fashion house, which also introduced a £40m cost-saving initiative, will focus on its core strengths, including its popular outerwear and scarves, while re-aligning pricing, particularly in leather goods, to better reflect its category authority.

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