New Poundland opens in Shrewsbury's former Wilko store and reunites defunct firm's former staff
Poundland has returned to Shrewsbury town centre in a former Wilko store - and has hired eight former Wilko employees who are glad to be "back home".
The new shop is in the same unit which was occupied by Wilko in the Darwin Centre until the chain went bust.
Budget retailer Poundland has bought up many of the defunct firm's stores, and the Shrewsbury shop is one of 56 rapid ongoing Wilko-to-Poundland conversions.
The new shop has brought 15 jobs, with eight of them being snapped up by ex-Wilko staff.
Caroline Williams, a customer service advisor for the new Shrewsbury Poundland store, worked for Wilko for 31 years including in the Riverside Centre and in another Darwin Centre unit before the chain collapsed.
She was all smiles on the first day of the new Poundland store.
"I've seen at least a dozen of our old customers already," she said, just an hour and a half after the store opened. "They all say they'll be returning. I think the store is bright, open and welcoming.
