Wilko employees get ‘guaranteed interviews’ for new jobs at Dunelm, The Works and Hobbycraft, while Aldi says it has 6,000 open positions

A number of well-known retailers have agreed to guarantee an interview for affected Wilko employees.

The Works, Dunelm and Hobbycraft have all said they will interview Wilko employees if they apply.

Aldi UK has also called on Wilko employees who fear losing their jobs to get in touch, as the supermarket has more than 6,000 retail vacancies.

Aldi previously said it would create 800 jobs in its new stores in the coming months, adding today that it is also recruiting for a “high volume” of other store positions across the country as expansion continues.

An Aldi spokesperson told This is Money that the supermarket plans to open about 20 stores in the UK in the coming months.

This week, Wilko’s directors, PwC, warned of job losses and future store closures as no buyer was found for the entire company.

Wilko announced earlier this month that it would file for bankruptcy, putting 12,500 jobs and its 400 stores at risk.

In a statement on Wednesday, PwC said: “While discussions continue with those interested in buying parts of the company, it is clear that the nature of this interest is not group-wide.

“Unfortunately, therefore, layoffs and store closures are likely in the future and it was necessary today to keep employee representatives informed.”

Potential buyers of segments of the group would include rivals B&M European Value Retail, Poundland, The Range and Home Bargains.

In the short term, all Wilko stores will remain open and in business, and staff will continue to be paid, the administrators said. PwC said there are “currently no plans to close stores next week.”

Administrators at the stricken retailer denied plans to close stores next week after the GMB union said ‘the majority’ would be closed.

At risk: PwC admitted this week that a buyer for all of Wilko has yet to be found

Jobs: The Works guarantees Wilko employees an interview if they apply for a position

With more than 12,000 Wilko jobs at risk, Aldi says it hopes to offer “long-term retail positions” to those who have lost their jobs as a result of the Wilko downturn. Various positions are available, from shop assistant and concierge to shop manager. .

Kelly Stokes, recruitment director at Aldi UK, said: ‘We are welcoming more and more customers to Aldi stores every week and we are working hard to meet the huge demand for our unbeatable prices.

“That means finding thousands of new Aldi colleagues to support this growth, which will hopefully be of interest to those who have recently been hit by closures elsewhere.”

In terms of salary, Aldi says store employees receive a starting salary of £11.40 per hour and those based in London receive £12.85 per hour. The supermarket also claimed it was the only supermarket paying breaks, which it says could be worth as much as £972 a year.

Dunelm said on LinkedIn: ‘As a fellow retailer, we are very saddened to hear the news about Wilko and are thinking of all of our colleagues who have been affected.

“We would therefore like to offer our direct support and bring to your attention some of the exciting opportunities we currently offer across our retail, headquarters and distribution functions.

‘We have also agreed on an accelerated application procedure with Wilko colleagues, so that everyone who applies has the chance of an interview.’

The Works, also on Linkedin, said: ‘We are sincerely sorry to hear about all of our colleagues who are currently affected by Wilko.

“If we can support someone, help them get in touch with us. We guarantee an interview if a position is available.’

Meanwhile, GMB National Secretary Andy Prendergast said: ‘The GMB union will continue to support members through this process and will fight to ensure that members are consulted according to the law and that you receive every penny you are entitled to.

“We will fight for Wilko’s bosses to be held accountable for the simple reason that our members deserve so much better.

“GMB will not forget the incompetence that led to this collapse, and we will not forget the dividends paid to the millionaires who in their whim gambled away your jobs.”

Wilko’s death marks another dismal episode for the high street following the collapse of McColl’s newsagent last year before being rescued by Morrisons.

In recent years, the high street has lost names such as Debenhams, Topshop owner Arcadia group and Mothercare due to the shift to online shopping and the side effects of lockdowns.