Wilko

One of the main shops in Middleton's Shopping Centre is Wilko, it was formerly called "Wilkinson" until around 2014, I do feel the name Wilko is quite cooler and easier to say, but still I know many people who still call it by the original name, after the duo who founded the company in 1930.

This Wilko store has been in Middleton for a good few years now, in this location and I think it does have some sort of sponsorship of the Shopping Centre because as you enter the car park, underneath the logo for the Arndale, you see the one for this store.

Wilko is set over 2 floors with beauty products such as shampoo, soaps and lottery being located on the bottom floor, as well as a fridge of drinks (Although they do have a smaller one at every other checkout) and the top floor is mainly for paints, cards and things of a more home decor nature.

Wilko in a way is like an expensive pound shop, as it sells quite a few things, but to be fair some of their products are reasonably priced, but they is many things that will leave you thinking " That is (Insert price here) and continue saying it again and again", I honestly am not afraid to speak my mind, and done this while looking directly into an employee's eyes (Not on purpose! )

Most of the drinks here are your standard drinks, although they do sell Lipton Iced teas in both Lemon and Peach for £1 each.

This store isn't the nicest and most modern of stores and doesn't seem to have had work done on it for a good few years, it would be nice to see something to keep up with modern times.

They do have a lift, which is a lot quicker and easier to use rather than the Arndale one, and I'm sure some people might use it even if they are not shopping here, but as this store is 2 floors, it is nice to see them having a lift, unlike WHsmith who had a staircase, but they have now shut down their top floor store in the shopping centre, which could prove this is the right method to have, although the lift is confusing, with 2 doors (only one opens) and annoying, as when you press a button it makes a rather loud sound, like an alarm is being pressed.

Overall, this is quite a big Wilko store but still, some work, especially the likes of the flooring and layout could do with improvement, as well as pricing of some items and removing some items which just make the store seem tatty, like a pound shop, even the lift is very old, I haven't seen it break down but perhaps adding a nicer one in store wouldn't hurt

There are some issues with the store as mentioned such as some of the goods sold, slight service issues and issues such as the lift, even some items such as the drink selection is being left behind compared to other retailers I'm sorry to report, so sadly I feel the need to downgrade this store from a three star to the lower end of a two star rating, (June 2017)

I love a good rummage around in Wilkinson.

The love affair started when I was working in Salford and there was a Wilko's in the Precinct but has since extended into the city centre. I admit, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to places like this; I scurry in and out of Poundland hoping not to be noticed and it's a similar thing with Wilko's. However, the more I shop here, the prouder I am.

Anyone who is as much of a Pinterest addict as I am can feel a tinge of sadness when browsing through DIY&Crafts, realising there are no equivilants to Walmart (trust me, our supermarkets just aren't the same) to pick up the basic vases/spray paint/endless balls of twine the crafters suggest. Poundland doesn't even cut the mustard when it comes to this. Wilko's to the metaphorical rescue. The home section here becomes a haven for anyone who has a desire to spray paint everything gold and stick small plastic animals onto screw top jars. The home section, by coincidence, is the only part of the shop I tend to frequent. The homeware department has recently had a bit of a revamp - according to the signs anyway - and the array of cushions had my head spinning. I love a good cushion.

Why then do I only give 3 stars when the shop fulfills all my cheap crafty needs? The service. The service is slow. There also seems to be no limit on how much perfume one man can buy - surely this is just going to end up on a market stall somewhere? That or perfume giving has become compulsary at Easter? Maybe a quick stop at Wilko's was what Jesus rose for.*


*Sorry**
**I'm not really sorry