A WILKO staff member has shared their heartbreak at her shop closing, after being there for six years.
Lissy shared how she’s been left in tears seeing the retailer’s shelves left bare following the chain tumbling into administration on August 10.
Today, Wilko closed the first of its 400 stores, and Lissy said she was “dreading” her time there coming to an end.
She wrote: “I keep having meltdowns in work & crying, I'm dreading Tuesday.”
On her @lissy_72 TikTok account, the employee shared her shop with empty shelves and clearance signs, and said the last three days of it being open have been “emotional.”
She wrote: “Our Wilko chapter is finished. Missing it already. End of an era.”
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Many fellow Wilko workers were quick to comment, with one saying: “12 years for me we will always be wilko family.”
Another added: “been there since I was 19 this is going to be hard was my first ever job.”
Administrators at PwC confirmed yesterday that it will close all Wilko stores by October.
The 90-year-old retailer is shutting 24 branches today and a further 28 on Thursday.
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Another 124 stores are set to close next week in three rounds of closures on Sunday 17, Tuesday 19 and September 21.
Exact timings for the shuttering of the remaining 222 stores will be announced in due course.
Shoppers have been hit with empty shelves at stores across the country, as many rush to grab last-minute bargains before their local store shuts forever.
Since the retailer fell into administration back in August several bidders tried and failed to save the brand, its stores and 12,500 staff.
One deal with B&M has seen up to 51 shops bought, with others also said to be looking to buy up sites and rebrand them as their own.
The latest bid from entrepreneur Doug Putman was the last hope to save 200 sites, but the deal ultimately fell through yesterday.
Shoppers have been taking to social media to share their disappointment at the news, offering heartfelt condolences to staff.
Chief executive officer, Mark Jackson, said that the company had "left no stone unturned" in a bid to save the chain.
Wilko workers have since made heartfelt requests to "insensitive" shoppers ahead of the closures.
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Tesco and other supermarkets have made kind gestures to thousands of staff urging them to apply for vacant roles.
Meanwhile, we reveal the full list of stores which have so far been signposted for closure.
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