Shopping centre’s empty Wilko store up for grabs

Another empty Wilko store has been put up on the market.

The 13,000 sq ft unit in The Pentagon Shopping Centre, in Chatham, is being listed for rent by property consultants Jamieson Mills almost a year after the firm went into administration.

There was hope some of Kent’s Wilkos would remain open after a handful of the stores were missed in the first announcement.

However, the budget retailer, which had 13 stores across the county, failed to secure emergency funding and all its shops were shut by October last year.

On their final day (October 3), Wilko staff at the Chatham branch were filmed having a boogie and dancing to the Hokey Cokey.

mpu1

Rick Pataky, 55, filmed the moment. Speaking at the time, he said: “I loved Wilko, I shopped there all the time.

“It is very sad that these mainstay shops are disappearing from our high streets and shopping centres.

“But personally I think the staff had the right attitude treating their last day as a celebration rather than a sad ending, just shows me they were more than colleagues and cared for their shop, each other and their customers.”

The shopping centre unit has now gone up on the market.

However, only the ground floor is being listed for rent as the first floor is set to become part of Medway Council’s healthy living centre and innovation hub.

It is not known how much the rent is for the store which is only available on application.

Elsewhere in the Towns, one former Wilko has already been given a new lease of life.

In Rainham, the shop was taken over by rival discount retailer B&M, which snapped up 51 stores across the country in a £13 million deal.

Traders welcomed the arrival saying it had brought much-needed footfall to the shopping precinct.