Job losses as popular Falkirk town centre clothes shop forced to close down

While the future of Scottish retail chain Wilkies was secured following a sale of the business and certain assets out of administration, a total of five stores were not included as part of the transaction and four, including the branch in Newmarket Street, Falkirk, have now closed with immediate effect.

A total of 30 employees have been made redundant as a result of these closures.

It was stated the company faced trading challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and did not recover to pre-pandemic levels in some locations. This, coupled with rising labour and energy costs, led to the company incurring significant losses.

This forced Wilkies’ directors to explore options, including a sale of the business.

A solvent solution was unable to be found so the directors appointed administrators Blair Nimmo and Alistair McAlinden from Interpath Advisory on June 29 and they immediately sold six of the company’s 11 stores to a new company – Wilkies Trading Limited, with a total of 55 employees transferring to the purchaser as part of the transaction.

Blair Nimmo, chief executive of Interpath Advisory and joint administrator, said: “The high street continues to come under significant pressure, with another retail

casualty caused by a combination of customers moving to supermarket and online retail, and cost pressures particularly from labour and energy prices biting.”

Alistair McAlinden, head of Interpath Advisory in Scotland, added: “Wilkies is a familiar name to many, so we are pleased to have been able to conclude this deal which

will see the brand continue to be a part of high streets within Scotland.

"We’re also pleased to have been able to safeguard 55 jobs as part of the transaction. We wish the new owners every success.”

Family-owned Wilkies dates back to 1898 and became renowned as a retailer of ladies and men’s fashions, as well as home wares.

Karen Forret, managing director of Wilkies Limited, said: “We are proud to keep the Wilkies brand alive and to have saved as many jobs as possible.”