38

Selling pick 'n' mix, stationery and even garden tools: Wilko has styled itself as a budget UK homeware chain for over ninety years.

With 400 stores across the UK, is well-known for its affordable everyday items.

But the High Street stalwart has warned that it is on the brink of collapse, putting some 12,000 jobs at risk.

Alex, a communications professional who lives in Wimbledon in London, says he'd be "gutted" if Wilkos disappears altogether.

"It's where I get my pick 'n' mix before the cinema. I always find it great value, and really good on stuff like detergent," he said.

It is also seen as a one-stop-shop for Christmas paraphernalia, famed for its low-priced tinsel and wrapping paper.

The cut-price shop was founded in 1930 when JK Wilkinson opened his first store in Leicester. Then, it was called Wilkinson Cash stores and by 1939 a total of nine stores were opened.

It expanded across the Midlands initially and by the 1990s became one of Britain's fastest-growing retailers.

James, a construction professional, remembers the first Wilko store in Leeds: "My dad loved it - a brilliant location at the Arndale Centre in Headingley. It sold such a wide range of things, all in the same place."

He added: "At Christmas for example, the tinsel and wrapping paper are good value".

In 2012, Wilkinson began rebranding its stores as Wilko, after its own-brand products marketed under the Wilko name. By 2014, most stores had emblazoned the new name on storefronts.

Woolworths gap

Although the brand is beloved by Brits, Richard Lim, boss of the Retail Economics consultancy, said: "Sadly, sentiment doesn't ensure commercial success."

Stephen from Hebburn says it doesn't have everything he wants.

"We only go in for specific items. It's good for washing up powder. It's not what it was, I don't think," he said.

Wilko stepped into the High Street gap left by the collapse of Woolworths in late 2008, but has struggled over the last decade in part owing to more competition. The likes of Poundland and B&M have meant it has had to share its traditional customer base.

Wilko's sales were larger than B&M's a decade ago, but now they are one-third of its competitor's. Its sales have also fallen below Poundland, Home Bargains, and The Range.

Many commentators on social media have pointed out that B&M and Home Bargains seem to have a lot of the same or very similar stuff at notably lower prices.

Retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth said the current cost of living crisis should have been the time for Wilko to shine. Soaring prices have meant that many shoppers are looking for a bargain, but she says its customers have been going to rivals instead.

Ms Shuttleworth added: "I don't think we'll see Wilko disappear from the High Street, because it's such a well-loved brand and shoppers hold it in high regard.

"But, it could look very different in the future."

Too many stores?

The discount chain has 408 stores across the UK, many of them in High Street locations in traditional town centres.

While these locations are convenient for shoppers without cars, since the pandemic there's been a shift to bigger retail parks and out-of-town options with more space.

But some customers feel Wilko is one of the last bastions holding on amidst a decline of the High Street.

A shopper from Kingston upon Thames told the BBC that she would be "very upset" if the town lost its Wilko store.

"I use it weekly for gardening items especially - but also toiletries and cleaning supplies.

"It's a bit like the old Woolworths and it would be a huge loss - no everyone likes online shopping," she said.

Charles Allen, retail analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, says that the locations of Wilko stores have been a bit of a turn-off for some customers.

"B&M, for example, has thrived with a similar but perhaps slightly more relevant assortment that appeals to today's consumers.

"B&M has also moved many of its locations to retail parks which are more convenient for many consumers, especially when they are buying bulky goods."

Empty shelves

Wilko has already borrowed £40m from the restructuring specialist Hilco, cut jobs, rejigged its leadership team and sold off a distribution centre as it faced a cash squeeze after falling to a loss.

Shoppers have noticed gaps on shelves after Wilko struggled to pay suppliers and at least one credit insurer withdrew trade cover, prompting some companies to pause deliveries.

Richard Lim added: "It meant that they didn't have the cash to stump up for products... and it turns the retail business on its head."

In this instance it looks like the chain might not have had deep enough pockets to get through another tough trading period - after a pandemic and a cost of living crunch.

172
Moving forest (yiffit.net)
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/pics@lemmy.world
0
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/globalnews@lemmy.zip

Archived version: https://archive.ph/ALGwq

More than 50 people have been injured and dozens detained in Stockholm after opponents of the Eritrean government stormed an event in the Swedish capital organised by regime supporters.

About 1,000 anti-government demonstrators who had been authorised to hold a protest nearby broke through a police barrier, tearing down festival tents and setting booths and vehicles on fire.

“Another public gathering took place close to the festival site, during which a violent riot broke out,” police said, adding in a statement they had detained “around a hundred people”.

Police said they remained at the scene, in a suburb north-west of Stockholm, and were “continuing their efforts to disrupt criminal acts and restore order”.

Between 100 and 200 people were detained, according to a police spokesperson. Police said they had also opened an investigation into violent rioting and arson as well as obstruction of the work of police and rescue services.

Police said at least 52 people had required medical attention, either at the scene or at local clinics and hospitals. By 7pm (15.00 GMT), 15 people had been taken to hospital, the Region Stockholm healthcare authority said in a separate statement. Eight of the people had “serious injuries”, with the other seven sustaining “minor injuries”, according to the authority, which said it had multiple units at the scene.

Sweden is home to tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots. The festival devoted to the cultural heritage of Eritrea is an annual event that has been held since the 1990s, but it has been criticised for allegedly serving as a promotional tool and source of money for the African nation’s government, according to Swedish media.

“This is not a festival, they are teaching their children hate speech,” protester Michael Kobrab told Swedish broadcaster TV4.

Human rights groups describe Eritrea as one of the world’s most repressive countries. Since winning independence from Ethiopia three decades ago, the small Horn of Africa nation has been led by a president, Isaias Afwerki, who has never held an election. Millions of people have fled conditions such as forced military conscription.

A festival participant, Emanuel Asmalash, also spoke to TV4, accusing the protesters of being “terrorists” from Ethiopia.

Sweden’s justice minister, Gunnar Strömmer, said in a written statement to the Swedish news agency TT: “It is not reasonable for Sweden to be drawn into other countries’ domestic conflicts in this way.

“If you flee to Sweden to escape violence, or are on a temporary visit, you must not cause violence here. The police’s resources are needed for other purposes than keeping different groups apart from each other.”

39
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

Archived version: https://archive.ph/ALGwq

More than 50 people have been injured and dozens detained in Stockholm after opponents of the Eritrean government stormed an event in the Swedish capital organised by regime supporters.

About 1,000 anti-government demonstrators who had been authorised to hold a protest nearby broke through a police barrier, tearing down festival tents and setting booths and vehicles on fire.

“Another public gathering took place close to the festival site, during which a violent riot broke out,” police said, adding in a statement they had detained “around a hundred people”.

Police said they remained at the scene, in a suburb north-west of Stockholm, and were “continuing their efforts to disrupt criminal acts and restore order”.

Between 100 and 200 people were detained, according to a police spokesperson. Police said they had also opened an investigation into violent rioting and arson as well as obstruction of the work of police and rescue services.

Police said at least 52 people had required medical attention, either at the scene or at local clinics and hospitals. By 7pm (15.00 GMT), 15 people had been taken to hospital, the Region Stockholm healthcare authority said in a separate statement. Eight of the people had “serious injuries”, with the other seven sustaining “minor injuries”, according to the authority, which said it had multiple units at the scene.

Sweden is home to tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots. The festival devoted to the cultural heritage of Eritrea is an annual event that has been held since the 1990s, but it has been criticised for allegedly serving as a promotional tool and source of money for the African nation’s government, according to Swedish media.

“This is not a festival, they are teaching their children hate speech,” protester Michael Kobrab told Swedish broadcaster TV4.

Human rights groups describe Eritrea as one of the world’s most repressive countries. Since winning independence from Ethiopia three decades ago, the small Horn of Africa nation has been led by a president, Isaias Afwerki, who has never held an election. Millions of people have fled conditions such as forced military conscription.

A festival participant, Emanuel Asmalash, also spoke to TV4, accusing the protesters of being “terrorists” from Ethiopia.

Sweden’s justice minister, Gunnar Strömmer, said in a written statement to the Swedish news agency TT: “It is not reasonable for Sweden to be drawn into other countries’ domestic conflicts in this way.

“If you flee to Sweden to escape violence, or are on a temporary visit, you must not cause violence here. The police’s resources are needed for other purposes than keeping different groups apart from each other.”

12
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/news@beehaw.org

Archived version: https://archive.ph/ALGwq

More than 50 people have been injured and dozens detained in Stockholm after opponents of the Eritrean government stormed an event in the Swedish capital organised by regime supporters.

About 1,000 anti-government demonstrators who had been authorised to hold a protest nearby broke through a police barrier, tearing down festival tents and setting booths and vehicles on fire.

“Another public gathering took place close to the festival site, during which a violent riot broke out,” police said, adding in a statement they had detained “around a hundred people”.

Police said they remained at the scene, in a suburb north-west of Stockholm, and were “continuing their efforts to disrupt criminal acts and restore order”.

Between 100 and 200 people were detained, according to a police spokesperson. Police said they had also opened an investigation into violent rioting and arson as well as obstruction of the work of police and rescue services.

Police said at least 52 people had required medical attention, either at the scene or at local clinics and hospitals. By 7pm (15.00 GMT), 15 people had been taken to hospital, the Region Stockholm healthcare authority said in a separate statement. Eight of the people had “serious injuries”, with the other seven sustaining “minor injuries”, according to the authority, which said it had multiple units at the scene.

Sweden is home to tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots. The festival devoted to the cultural heritage of Eritrea is an annual event that has been held since the 1990s, but it has been criticised for allegedly serving as a promotional tool and source of money for the African nation’s government, according to Swedish media.

“This is not a festival, they are teaching their children hate speech,” protester Michael Kobrab told Swedish broadcaster TV4.

Human rights groups describe Eritrea as one of the world’s most repressive countries. Since winning independence from Ethiopia three decades ago, the small Horn of Africa nation has been led by a president, Isaias Afwerki, who has never held an election. Millions of people have fled conditions such as forced military conscription.

A festival participant, Emanuel Asmalash, also spoke to TV4, accusing the protesters of being “terrorists” from Ethiopia.

Sweden’s justice minister, Gunnar Strömmer, said in a written statement to the Swedish news agency TT: “It is not reasonable for Sweden to be drawn into other countries’ domestic conflicts in this way.

“If you flee to Sweden to escape violence, or are on a temporary visit, you must not cause violence here. The police’s resources are needed for other purposes than keeping different groups apart from each other.”

1
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/canada@lemmy.ca

Archived version: https://archive.ph/YOqIz

The government of Alberta has pulled its support for a bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games due to rising costs.

A joint bid was being considered by the Canadian province, centred around the cities of Edmonton and Calgary.

Tourism Minister Joseph Schow said the bill was estimated at C$2.6bn (£1.5bn) - a burden "too high for the province to bear".

Last month Australia pulled out of hosting the 2026 Games in Victoria due to budget blowouts.

The initial plan was to host the games over 11 days in August 2030 with competitions and events spread between Calgary and Edmonton, as well as the Tsuut'ina Nation and Enoch Cree Nation.

In a statement Mr Schow said: "The corporate sponsorship model and limited broadcast revenues for the Commonwealth Games would have put 93% of those costs and risks on taxpayers.

"We committed to remain transparent with Albertans about the costs of hosting international sporting events and clearly demonstrating a return on our investment for the people and communities in Alberta.

"That is why we have made the decision not to continue pursuing the bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games."

Alberta's provincial government said it had committed up to C$2m to explore the feasibility of hosting the Games - and the city of Edmonton another C$1m, according to Reuters.

Commonwealth Sport Canada previously said it expected to complete the feasibility study in August when a decision would be made on whether to submit a formal bid.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek's office told Canada's national public broadcaster CBC the bid was finished without support from the province.

"The provincial government's decision to withdraw from Alberta's 2030 Commonwealth Games bid process effectively terminates the bid and the City of Calgary's participation," the statement said.

29
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/lgbtq_plus@beehaw.org

Chilean Olympic athlete Tomás González has come out as gay, saying in a recent interview: “I guess it’s not a big deal anymore, but yes, I’m gay.”

The gymnast opened up about his journey last month to Chilean news outlet La Tercera, saying he “cried a lot in those [early] days.”

The 37-year-old revealed he only came to terms with his sexuality at 24, after dating women since 18 and planning to marry and have children. He added that his traditional upbringing played a part in this.

“Accepting myself wasn’t an easy process,” he said. “Ultimately, one grows up in a heteronormative society that conditions you in the same way. I’m glad that things are becoming more normalised today.”

He told La Tercera he’s been in a relationship for six years and plans to adopt with his partner in the future.

Impressive athlete Tomás has earned an impressive nine medals over the years for his discipline of gymnastics. He’s competed in three summer Olympics, including London 2012.

The Olympian recently released his Spanish-language autiobiography, Campeón (Champion), in which he talks more about his upbringing and professional career.

In the book, he discusses an “abusive” coach, who allegedly screamed “faggot” at him after he made a fault during a 2007 competition. He says the coach also kept him isolated from others, leading a toll on the athlete’s mental health before they finally cut ties.

“Failures are overcome by being humble and analysing what happened without becoming involved in playing the victim,” Tomás says in the release.

1
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/gaybros@lemmy.world

Chilean Olympic athlete Tomás González has come out as gay, saying in a recent interview: “I guess it’s not a big deal anymore, but yes, I’m gay.”

The gymnast opened up about his journey last month to Chilean news outlet La Tercera, saying he “cried a lot in those [early] days.”

The 37-year-old revealed he only came to terms with his sexuality at 24, after dating women since 18 and planning to marry and have children. He added that his traditional upbringing played a part in this.

“Accepting myself wasn’t an easy process,” he said. “Ultimately, one grows up in a heteronormative society that conditions you in the same way. I’m glad that things are becoming more normalised today.”

He told La Tercera he’s been in a relationship for six years and plans to adopt with his partner in the future.

Impressive athlete Tomás has earned an impressive nine medals over the years for his discipline of gymnastics. He’s competed in three summer Olympics, including London 2012.

The Olympian recently released his Spanish-language autiobiography, Campeón (Champion), in which he talks more about his upbringing and professional career.

In the book, he discusses an “abusive” coach, who allegedly screamed “removed” at him after he made a fault during a 2007 competition. He says the coach also kept him isolated from others, leading a toll on the athlete’s mental health before they finally cut ties.

“Failures are overcome by being humble and analysing what happened without becoming involved in playing the victim,” Tomás says in the release.

6

Archived version: https://archive.ph/MCwCy

Low-level offenders have dodged more than 16 million hours of unpaid work since 2010 - at a cost of £150m to the taxpayer, new figures obtained by Sky News show.

Statistics from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) reveal that the number of community sentences has dropped by nearly two-thirds from 189,333 in 2010 to just 68,994 in 2022.

They also found that nearly a third of offenders who are given community sentences re-offend - including 23,415 in the last year alone.

The Labour Party, which highlighted the figures, said the figures showed victims of crimes including noise nuisance, verbal abuse, threatening behaviour, vandalism and criminal damage were going "unpunished" by the government.

It said it will allow victims of anti-social behaviour to pick the punishments meted out to offenders if it forms the next government, using community and victim payback boards to enforce community sentences.

Removing graffiti, repairing vandalism, building maintenance, environmental preservation programmes, clearing wasteland, decorating community centres and repairing churches are among the punishments that could be given out.

Labour's shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said the statistics showed the Conservatives are "failing to punish anti-social thugs".

"No wonder communities feel frustrated and powerless as they watch their neighbourhoods spiral downwards into crime," he said.

"Labour is the party of law and order. We will introduce payback boards to allow communities to decide how anti-social behaviour is punished. That's how we will prevent crime, punish criminals and protect communities."

As part of its plan to tackle crime - which is shaping up to be a key battleground at the next election - Labour has vowed to introduce a neighbourhood policing guarantee that will see 13,000 additional neighbourhood police and police community support officers on the streets, as well as increased town centre patrols and a guaranteed named officer and for every community.

It will also introduce fixed penalty cleaning notices for fly-tippers and create a new criminal offence aimed at adults who repeatedly engage in anti-social behaviour.

In March, Rishi Sunak outlined new plans that will see people convicted of anti-social behaviour forced to repair the damage they have caused within two days of being told their punishment.

The scheme will be piloted in 10 areas before a rollout across England and Wales next year.

The Conservative Party has been approached for comment.

3
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/google@lemmy.world

Archived version: https://archive.li/TbziV

Google is launching new privacy tools to allow users to have more control over unwanted personal images online and ensure explicit or graphic photos do not appear easily in search results.

Updates to Google policies on personal explicit images mean that users will be able to remove non-consensual and explicit imagery of themselves that they no longer wish to be visible in searches.

The update means that even if an individual created and uploaded explicit content to a website, and no longer wishes for it to be available on search, they will be able to request to remove it from Google search. The forms to submit requests have also been made more simple. The policy does not apply to images users are currently and actively commercialising.

The policy also applies to websites containing personal information.

Google will also roll out a new dashboard, only available in the US in English initially, that will let users know search results that display their contact information. Users can then quickly request the removal of these results from Google. The tool will also send a notification when new results with a user’s information pop up in search.

A new blurring setting in SafeSearch will also be implemented as the default on Google search for users who do not already have SafeSearch filtering on. Explicit imagery, adult or graphic violent content will be blurred by default when it appears in search results. The setting can be turned off at any time, unless you are a supervised user on a public network that has kept this setting as default and locked it.

For instance, in a search for images under “injury”, explicit content will be blurred to prevent users from being shown graphic content.

Google initially announced this safeguard in February and it will be launched globally in August.

10
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/technology@lemmy.ml

Archived version: https://archive.li/TbziV

Google is launching new privacy tools to allow users to have more control over unwanted personal images online and ensure explicit or graphic photos do not appear easily in search results.

Updates to Google policies on personal explicit images mean that users will be able to remove non-consensual and explicit imagery of themselves that they no longer wish to be visible in searches.

The update means that even if an individual created and uploaded explicit content to a website, and no longer wishes for it to be available on search, they will be able to request to remove it from Google search. The forms to submit requests have also been made more simple. The policy does not apply to images users are currently and actively commercialising.

The policy also applies to websites containing personal information.

Google will also roll out a new dashboard, only available in the US in English initially, that will let users know search results that display their contact information. Users can then quickly request the removal of these results from Google. The tool will also send a notification when new results with a user’s information pop up in search.

A new blurring setting in SafeSearch will also be implemented as the default on Google search for users who do not already have SafeSearch filtering on. Explicit imagery, adult or graphic violent content will be blurred by default when it appears in search results. The setting can be turned off at any time, unless you are a supervised user on a public network that has kept this setting as default and locked it.

For instance, in a search for images under “injury”, explicit content will be blurred to prevent users from being shown graphic content.

Google initially announced this safeguard in February and it will be launched globally in August.

23
submitted 2 years ago by soyagi@yiffit.net to c/technology@lemmy.world

Archived version: https://archive.li/TbziV

Google is launching new privacy tools to allow users to have more control over unwanted personal images online and ensure explicit or graphic photos do not appear easily in search results.

Updates to Google policies on personal explicit images mean that users will be able to remove non-consensual and explicit imagery of themselves that they no longer wish to be visible in searches.

The update means that even if an individual created and uploaded explicit content to a website, and no longer wishes for it to be available on search, they will be able to request to remove it from Google search. The forms to submit requests have also been made more simple. The policy does not apply to images users are currently and actively commercialising.

The policy also applies to websites containing personal information.

Google will also roll out a new dashboard, only available in the US in English initially, that will let users know search results that display their contact information. Users can then quickly request the removal of these results from Google. The tool will also send a notification when new results with a user’s information pop up in search.

A new blurring setting in SafeSearch will also be implemented as the default on Google search for users who do not already have SafeSearch filtering on. Explicit imagery, adult or graphic violent content will be blurred by default when it appears in search results. The setting can be turned off at any time, unless you are a supervised user on a public network that has kept this setting as default and locked it.

For instance, in a search for images under “injury”, explicit content will be blurred to prevent users from being shown graphic content.

Google initially announced this safeguard in February and it will be launched globally in August.

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soyagi

joined 2 years ago