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![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.retailgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Chris-Dawson-x-Wilko-696x522.jpg\" "\\"Chris")
<\/div>\nWilko owner Chris Dawson has revealed plans to open up to 40 new UK stores next year as he looks to restore the discount chain to its former glory.<\/p>\n
The Range owner, who bought the Wilko brand out of administration in October, told Retail Gazette he is targeting \u201cshopping centres and only very busy high streets\u201d for the new stores.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say 30 to 40 in the first year,\u201d Dawson said. \u201cThen it\u2019ll be the same, if not more, the following years till we fill the place up.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the retailer had several stores \u201cup and down the country\u201d lined up to open before Easter.<\/p>\n
Dawson also believes that Wilko, which had 400 stores when it collapsed, could grow to up to 300 shops.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is not a place for 400 anymore because the world\u2019s changed since then, but I think full saturation would be 300 in the UK,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Wilko opened the third out of the five stores it has planned before the new year in Luton on Friday, following openings in Exeter and Plymouth last weekend.<\/p>\n
The three stores that have opened so far have recruited more than a third of its original store staff.<\/p>\n
Self-made billionaire Dawson said the first two shops had performed ahead of expectations: \u201cExeter was the best and Plymouth was a smidgen over the figures. It\u2019s gaining ground by the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a return to the high street and a return to an extremely famous and much-loved brand.\u201d<\/p>\n
The retail entrepreneur wants to expand Wilko into towns it hasn\u2019t reached under its previous ownership, and is eyeing European expansion.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s early days yet, this is only store number three, but there\u2019s going to be many, many, many more in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and who knows, it could even be in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buying Wilko<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"Discount](\"https:\/\/www.retailgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/shutterstock_1915647598.jpg\")
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Dawson swooped in to snap up the Wilko brand, website and intellectual property for \u00a35m back in September, successfully beating competition from HMV owner Doug Putman and online marketplace OnBuy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen a brand worshipped so much in my life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were a couple of things that happened towards the end but [Wilko] was bloody good for a lot of years and I thought, \u2018we can make it good again and we can make good profit\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dawson said he was also attracted by the retailer\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe conversion rate is better than most I have ever seen and the way it\u2019s run is better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As such, Dawson\u2019s rescue deal also included 36 employees from Wilko\u2019s digital team.<\/p>\n
Dawson now has two big discount giants in his portfolio: Wilko and The Range.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne is high street value for money, and one is an out-of-town value for money,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can put them side by side and they would still trade.<\/p>\n
Dawson, who decided to snap up the retailer\u2019s intellectual property assets instead of taking on its stores, is also aware of the speculation that reopening Wilko stores were part of his original plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody said \u2018he had that planned all the way through\u2019 and yeah, I sort of did have it planned all the way through,\u201d said Dawson.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want 400 stores because, without being rude to anybody, they were good 20 to 30 years ago, but they were in the wrong place. The wrong place, the wrong rent, the wrong rates \u2013 everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Dawson, only 80 to 100 of Wilko\u2019s original stores were well located.<\/p>\n
Restoring the Wilko brand<\/strong><\/h3>\nMany Wilko stores were left with empty shelves in the lead up to the retailer\u2019s collapse, however, Dawson is keen to ensure history doesn\u2019t repeat itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking to make sure we\u2019re 97% in stock all the time and that [will drive] a big increase on like-for-like sales,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re [also] looking to increase the quality in three areas,\u201d said Dawson, citing pets, healthy and beauty, and homewares.<\/p>\n
The new Wilko stores include more branded products than before, a larger space dedicated to seasonal products, the return of its toys range, and a bulked out in-store home and DIY section, which includes Dulux paint mixing station for the first time.<\/p>\n
Dawson has also brought back the retailer\u2019s food-to-go range, which its previous owners pulled over concerns it wasn\u2019t able to compete with the top supermarkets.<\/p>\n
Another part of Dawson\u2019s plan for restoring and strengthening Wilko is bolstering it online business, which relaunched in October.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot everybody wants to come into a high street anymore. You can sit at home and buy anything you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
He expects the retailer\u2019s site to \u201cdouble in size within the next three months,\u201d as the team continues to add more ranges online.<\/p>\n
Dawson said the website was performing \u201cway ahead of expectations\u201d since its relaunch and expects the site to become the \u201cjewel of the [Wilko] crown in the next six months\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nMany Wilko stores were left with empty shelves in the lead up to the retailer\u2019s collapse, however, Dawson is keen to ensure history doesn\u2019t repeat itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking to make sure we\u2019re 97% in stock all the time and that [will drive] a big increase on like-for-like sales,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re [also] looking to increase the quality in three areas,\u201d said Dawson, citing pets, healthy and beauty, and homewares.<\/p>\n
The new Wilko stores include more branded products than before, a larger space dedicated to seasonal products, the return of its toys range, and a bulked out in-store home and DIY section, which includes Dulux paint mixing station for the first time.<\/p>\n
Dawson has also brought back the retailer\u2019s food-to-go range, which its previous owners pulled over concerns it wasn\u2019t able to compete with the top supermarkets.<\/p>\n
Another part of Dawson\u2019s plan for restoring and strengthening Wilko is bolstering it online business, which relaunched in October.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot everybody wants to come into a high street anymore. You can sit at home and buy anything you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
He expects the retailer\u2019s site to \u201cdouble in size within the next three months,\u201d as the team continues to add more ranges online.<\/p>\n
Dawson said the website was performing \u201cway ahead of expectations\u201d since its relaunch and expects the site to become the \u201cjewel of the [Wilko] crown in the next six months\u201d.<\/p>\n