Shoppers in Wythenshawe Town Centre were treated to a fun packed launch day as Wilkinson, the value home and garden retailer, opened the doors to its newest store, situated in Etrop Court, off Rowlands Way.
Shoppers queued outside, eager to be the first to see the new store and grab a bargain or two. The Lord Mayor of the City of Manchester, Councillor Harry Lyons, cut the ceremonial ribbon, alongside Wilkinsons’ chief executive, Stuart Mitchell and assistant store manager, Shahnaz Miah – marking the start to a day of celebrations.
The lucky first 50 shoppers through the tills were delighted to receive a Wilkinsons own brand goody bag, packed full of products. Following the opening, Shahnaz, presented a donation of £500, to go towards The Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal Trust, which gives money to a variety of worthy causes across the Manchester region.
Wythenshawe’s Polyphonic Brass Band was also on hand throughout the morning to entertain customers with a selection of Rat Pack songs and show tunes, while staff handed out free sweets and balloons to young shoppers.
To raise funds for Age UK, Wilkinsons’ charity of the year, which provides care and support for elderly people in the community, volunteers from the organisation hosted an opening day charity raffle. One lucky shopper walked away with a jam-packed hamper full of Wilkinsons’ cleaning essentials, including air fresheners, mops, sprays and antibacterial products.
Shahnaz said: “Opening day was a great success and I am extremely proud of what the team has achieved. We have already received some wonderful compliments from our new customers, which has made all the hard work worthwhile.
“We are pleased to be able to help a wide range of local charities and organisations with our donation to The Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal Trust. Wilkinsons has a tradition of supporting local initiatives and I am looking forward to the store becoming a central part of this close knit community.”
The Lord Mayor commented: “It is wonderful to see a well-known retailer with an excellent reputation, such as Wilkinsons, investing in Wythenshawe and creating jobs for local people.
“I am also very grateful for the donation the company has made to my Trust, which will make a real difference to a number of worthwhile local charities.”
A family owned firm after 80 years of trading, JK Wilkinson opened his first store, situated on Charnwood Street, Leicester, in 1930. The company’s portfolio has expanded significantly over the eight decades that have followed, and there are currently 360 stores across the UK, including 10 in Scotland.
Wilkinsons is launching an upmarket own-brand range, including more than 100 home and kitchenware products as it seeks to appeal to quality conscious customer. The range – named ‘Wilkinson’ – will launch in stores in the autumn, and will include items such as Egyptian cotton bedding, cooking utensils and glasses.
Serving over 178 million customers each year, and selling over 25,000 product lines, including health & beauty, cleaning products, gardening equipment and homewares both in store and online at WilkinsonPlus, Wilkinsons is dedicated to providing its customers with high quality products, choice and first class, friendly service.
