Wilko

Wilkinson (or Wilko, as it is known colloquially) is a British high-street hardware store. It sells everything from washing powder to paint, and also rotates some of its stock on a seasonal basis, such as selling Christmas decorations from September and garden tools in the Spring.

History

Since the first store was opened by JK Wilkinson in Leicester in 1930, the company has now grown to over 250 stores nationwide, and employs over 21,000 people. Unlike many of its competitors, it still remains largely in the hands of the family who started it- the children of JK Wilkinson play an active role in the company.

Marketing

The Wilkinson method is to sell products as cheaply as possible, to try and achieve maximum sales and to sell through. In its marketing, it places a large emphasis on value- and some would argue that this is at the expense of quality. Wilkinson has yet to advertise on television and instead focuses on advertising in the press. They will often place leaflets and flyers inside local newspapers to promote whatever range they're pushing. However, a number of products advertised on television, such as those made by JML will sometimes reference Wilkinson as to where the viewer can purchase the product.

Criticisms

Wilkinson has received critism [1] from some groups for using so-called prison labour in the manufacture of its own-brand products. The suggestion is that Prisoners are forced to do things such as packaging, at the expense of education and activities.

Wilkinson also have close business links with McDonalds and ASDA/Walmart.

External Links

• Wilkinson Website
• Weblog of a Wilkinson employee
• Map display locations of Wilkinson stores
• Campaign Against Prison Slavery