'The high street is dead' residents say ahead of more Wilko closures including Wolverhampton and Dudley
Wolverhampton Wilko workers prepare to close their doors for the last time today as dozens of shoppers flock to Dudley's branch for its final week.
The Wolverhampton branch of Wilko, located in the Mander Centre, is among a list of stores preparing to close their doors for the last time ever.
Shoppers flocked to the high street retailer hoping to catch a bargain, and to say their last goodbyes to staff members.
The branch will become the latest to close marking an end to Wilko's presence in the Wolverhampton area.
The store also marks one of the youngest of the retailer's branches to close, with the Mander Centre branch opening less than five years earlier on Friday, November 15, 2019.
Another round of closures has seen dozens of Dudley residents flock to the town centre to say goodbye to their local Wilko store as they prepare to close their doors for the last time.
Shoppers braved the bleak weather as they visited the High Street store as staff members cleared shelves in preparation for their last day on Friday 29.
The store announced its closure earlier this month, along with 111 other stores that are set to close next week.
Wayne Syvons, a regular shopper who travels the Black Country on a narrowboat, said: "It's a real shame, they are closing everywhere, It's a shop I usually use so it's really sad to see it go.
"I do think that the internet is one of the reasons it's gone. you can get cheaper stuff pretty much straight away. I don't use the internet, but you know how can they compete."
The store is marked as one of the 111 branches to close next week, with six West Midlands Wilko stores among those to close their doors.
Another shopper, who wanted to stay anonymous, said: "It's a real shame for the workers, but no one shopped here really. The high street is dead."
The branch has become the latest in a list of closures around the West Midlands, with Walsall, Brownhills, Stafford and Uttoxeter stores already shutting their doors earlier this month.
Barry Thomas, of Dudley, said: "It's sad, it really is. We really feel sad for the workers. Sadly this is happening all over the high street.
"It's a real shame though, they have been around for a long time. It's sad."
On Monday, Lichfield and Market Drayton stores will close their doors, with a further two branches, Halesowen and Kidderminster closing their doors on Wednesday.
The final two stores, Dudley and the Bull Ring will cease trading on Friday.
