{"id":97604,"date":"2023-09-06T09:31:38","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T09:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turbocelebrity.com\/?p=97604"},"modified":"2023-09-06T09:31:38","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T09:31:38","slug":"bm-jokes-about-13m-takeover-of-wilko-as-12000-jobs-still-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turbocelebrity.com\/world-news\/bm-jokes-about-13m-takeover-of-wilko-as-12000-jobs-still-at-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"B&M 'jokes' about \u00a313m takeover of Wilko as 12,000 jobs still at risk"},"content":{"rendered":"
B&M Bargains has stoked outrage after apparently joking about taking over Wilko stores as thousands still face the sack.<\/p>\n
High-street chain Wilko is currently in administration as 52 stores are to be shut and 1,332 people are being made redundant.<\/p>\n
Also, more than 12,000 jobs still remain at risk despite rival B&M buying 51 of its 400 stores for \u00a313million.<\/p>\n
But B&M seemingly made light of the situation in a now-deleted Facebook post.<\/p>\n
They said: ‘Popped into B&M for a few things and left with 51 Wilko stores.<\/p>\n
‘Happens to the best of us.’<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Facebook post has since been deleted but many people reacted angrily and claimed they would boycott the store<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
High-street chain Wilko is currently in administration as 52 stores are to be shut and 1,332 people are being made redundant<\/p>\n
Although some people reacted with a laughing smiley emoji, a lot of people were angered by the post.<\/p>\n
Marc Fletcher said: ‘Christ B&M, people have lost their jobs and are on the brink of unemployment and this?<\/p>\n
Murray Harris said: ‘Well B&M, aren’t you such a lovely lot 12,500 jobs on the line and you think this is funny. Glad I don’t work for you lot.’<\/p>\n
Matthew Quinney said: ‘Absolutely disgraceful post!’<\/p>\n
Some people have claimed they will boycott the store after the Facebook post.<\/p>\n
Mail Online contacted B&M Bargains for comment.<\/p>\n
Wilko, which sells everything from hardware goods to cleaning products, toys and gardening equipment, went into administration last month, with insolvency experts from PwC trying to hammer out a rescue deal in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
B&M could potentially save some people from losing their job but more than 12,000 people still face the axe<\/p>\n
Hopes that the chain might be saved appeared to have been extinguished last week when a bid by the boss of HMV to purchase 300 stores stalled over funding issues, putting some 12,500 jobs at risk.<\/p>\n
But B&M’s last-ditch purchase is expected to have saved a substantial number of employees from the axe – although it has not yet been confirmed which of Wilko’s stores will be rescued by the sale.<\/p>\n
Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at the financial services giant Hargreaves Lansdown, said: ‘Wilko’s collapse is B&M’s gain, given that the successful value retailer had made no secret of wanting to open more shops across the UK.<\/p>\n
‘The soon-to-be vacant premises were easy pickings for B&M and it is likely that the retailer has been ultra-choosy when it comes to cherry-picking locations.<\/p>\n
‘Part of B&M’s successful model is its significant footprint in easy-to-access retail parks, so stores where it’s easy to load up a car are likely to be in high numbers in the deal.<\/p>\n
‘A good chunk of positions should be salvaged, but B&M is likely to want to run a highly efficient ship to squeeze as much profit out of the floorspace.’<\/p>\n