A final farewell to Darlington Wilko as shoppers say goodbye

The town's branch of the store was part of the final batch to be announced for closure, which has seen over 400 branches of Wilko closing nationwide. 

The hardware and furnishings retailer fell into administration at the start of last month after it came under pressure from weak consumer spending and debts to suppliers.

Read more: Darlington Wilko closes to shoppers as doors close for last time

In the aftermath of Wilko Darlington's closing, there have been numerous emotional farewells made by shoppers and councillors in the town. 

Former Council Leader, Cllr Jonathan Dulston, has noted "the big miss" that will be felt across the town now the retailer has shut its doors. 

He said: "As Wilko’s closes its doors for the last time I want to say a massive thank you to all of the staff for their amazing service to our town over the years.

Wilko Darlington (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

"I always remember going in at Christmas when it was late-night shopping to look at all of the decorations."

While the Darlington shop may have closed, nine Wilko stores in the North East have been snapped up by competitor Poundland, but the town's branch was not included in that list. 

In the build-up to the store's closure, staff members taped a heartfelt thank you note to the window of the store on East Street, which read: "Thank you to all of our loyal customers. We will miss you. Love from Darlington 127 staff."

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The Mayor of Darlington, Cllr Jan Cossins, thanked the store for all of their work, especially during the last month of Wilko being in administration.

She said: "I wish all the staff best wishes for their future and hopefully, those that want to, find another fulfilling job very soon."

Wilko Darlington shop workers on the final day of trading (Image: WILKO DARLINGTON)

Now that Wilko Darlington is an empty shop unit, questions have been asked about what it could become moving forward. 

Read next: Darlington Wilko staff display goodbye sign ahead of closure

The Town's MP, Peter Gibson, has said that he has committed to working with Darlington Borough Council to transform the building into something of use to the town. 

He said: "I will be speaking to the Council to establish how the vacant site can be utilised into the future and how it fits in with redevelopment opportunities alongside the Skerne in conjunction with the Library, the old Sports Direct site, Towns Fund Investment etc to ensure that the site works hard for our town as we continue to bring investment and new opportunities to the town."