Wilko owner Chris Dawson is targeting up to 300 stores over the next five years as he revealed that all new shops opened so far are making a profit.
The Range owner, who bought the Wilko brand out of administration last October, told Retail Gazette, that the retailer was ready for its next phase of growth after having nailed down the store concept.
“It’s all systems go now,” said Dawson.
Although the retail entrepreneur said there wasn’t an exact timeframe, he expects to open around 40 Wilko shops a year.
The discount chain opened its sixth store in Poole today (16 August) in its former unit at the Dolphin Centre. Group chief digital and marketing officer Ben Exall said the store marked the end of its concept trial, and it will now move into the rollout phase.
“We got the product mix wrong the first two times…and now we’ve got it right,” Dawson admitted, explaining “we didn’t have enough essentials”.
“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.”
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His comments come as the business recently poached Matalan’s property director Antony Darbyshire, who will be heading up the rollout of new Wilkos.
Dawson was tight-lipped on new store locations but said the team were “aware of what was good and bad for Wilko” previously.
He said it would 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”.
Dawson said the brand will return to London in the near future too: “We’ve already got a massive internet presence there,” he said.
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