00:00 So, right, well I'm here with Charlie. So, Charlie, just a reaction to the news that
00:08 Wilco might be on the brink of collapse, really, from your end.
00:11 Well, it's someone that's shopped there pretty much consistently, you know, dragged there
00:16 with the parents, having a big one in my hometown, like, growing up with it, and then just, well,
00:22 it's such a staple of the British culture, isn't it? And then, like, obviously, like,
00:27 when it goes, someone else will pop up and there'll be, like, a million ones like it.
00:32 But, you know, it feels like an ageing era, you know?
00:35 Yeah, definitely.
00:36 So, yeah, that's basically my thoughts. And, yeah, super bummed, really, but yeah.
00:40 100%. I suppose there's also, like, rumours that if they do collapse, it's, like, 1,200
00:45 jobs that'll be lost and things like that.
00:46 I mean, like, yeah, but, I mean, the economy's going down the toilet. I mean, what can you
00:51 say, really?
00:52 You're with me on this, or are you pretty confident something else will take its place?
00:54 Something else will take its place, but it wouldn't have the same, because it's such
01:00 a big brand, you know, and stuff like that. Like, it'll feel missed, it'll feel like a
01:06 boy, but, yeah, I know. Obviously, like, with the jobs, with finding jobs now, and, you
01:12 know, people being, or regularly get from work to work, 12,000 jobs just gone like that.
01:18 Yeah, the end times, but yeah.
01:20 No, it's not good news at all. In terms of losing, like you said, because it's kind of
01:24 a staple British brand, it's been around since 1930, actually. It started as, like, a singular
01:28 hardware store, so to have grown to the level it is now and then to lose it, I suppose that
01:32 adds, like, an extra element of sadness to it.
01:34 Yeah, I mean, like, think about it, if Debenhams goes, if M&S goes, you know, Tesco goes, but
01:40 yeah.
01:41 I think it's just kind of part of the death of the high street. People are online these
01:44 days when they're shopping.
01:45 Yeah, I mean, like, e-commerce is taking over, obviously, but there's something about just
01:49 going into a shop physically and picking stuff out, and yeah.
01:53 And you say you're heading to Wilkers right now to get some champagne flutes?
01:56 Yeah, champagne flutes, paper plates, and stuff like that. Well, yeah, it's just a good
02:04 shop to pick up, like, little bits like that, you know, storage and stuff, a lot of kitchenware.
02:09 I actually shopped there to grab all my new kitchen stuff when I moved there, you know.
02:14 But yeah.
02:15 I suppose it's one of those dead useful kind of everything stores, isn't it?
02:18 Yeah.
02:19 Yeah, definitely.
02:20 Perfect. So I'm here with Michael. So, Michael, just to kick us off, what do you think, you
02:23 miss Wilko once it's gone?
02:24 Yeah, I shop there quite frequently, to be honest. It was, you know, it's where I go
02:27 to for all my home stuff and toiletries and things like that. It's right across the street
02:32 from my work, so I go there quite frequently.
02:34 I suppose it's one of those, like, everything stores, which is so easy to just pop into
02:37 and get a few things, complete a few errands all at the same time.
02:39 Yeah.
02:40 Yeah.
02:41 It's more of like a, I go there maybe once a week, kind of just to grab odd bits, and
02:46 I don't really think there's anywhere else in Preston that I would go instead of there.
02:51 Yeah.
02:52 So it is unfortunate that they might be closed down, yeah.
02:54 Yeah, definitely. The rumours are that if they do collapse, then it's like 1,200 jobs,
02:58 400 different stores affected. I suppose that's a really big hit on the British high street.
03:02 Yeah, definitely. I know quite a few of my family have worked for Wilko's before.
03:05 Really?
03:06 And it's, they don't work there anymore, but obviously their jobs have been replaced by
03:10 other people, so it's that thing of where are these people going to find another job,
03:15 especially in retail these days, it's very difficult.
03:18 Yeah.
03:19 Because a lot of employers are cutting hours, cutting down their staff, so it is unfortunate, yeah.
03:24 Yeah, definitely. I suppose it's, on top of the fact that it's just a useful thing and
03:28 it employs a lot of people, it's also like a historic brand, like, it's been around since
03:31 the 19, since 1930 when it opened its first store.
03:33 Yeah.
03:34 So I suppose it's a shame on that front as well to lose like part of the British high
03:37 street, which has heritage.
03:38 Yeah, exactly. Like it's, it's, you expect to see it. It's one of those things that,
03:42 you know, I'm from Ireland originally and we don't, we don't have Wilko's over there.
03:46 So whenever I came over here and it just became that thing that you associate with the British
03:52 high street.
03:53 Yeah, definitely.
03:54 So it is going to be sad if it does close down, yeah.
03:56 Yeah. Do you think it's just another victim of kind of like e-commerce and people just
03:59 taking their shopping online?
04:00 Well, yeah, I guess so. It's that, it's so easy to buy stuff online nowadays, but, you
04:04 know, as someone who works on the high street, it's just so convenient to pop in and not
04:08 have to wait for stuff to get delivered and pay delivery fees and stuff like that.
04:11 like that. Yeah definitely 100%. Thank you very much.
