Poundland owner Pepco has agreed to purchase 71 Wilko stores, including the Hitchin branch, following the collapse of the high street chain.

According to the GMB Union - which represents more than 3,000 Wilko staff - all 400 Wilko stores across the UK are set to close by early October.

Administrators at PwC have confirmed that 124 stores will shut between Sunday (September 17) and Thursday (September 21), including those in Stevenage and Letchworth.

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PwC have now confirmed that Pepco has sealed a deal which will see 71 stores reopened under the Poundland brand.

Workers at the stores will not be transferred directly as part of the move, but Poundland has said it will “prioritise” existing Wilko workers for roles.

Poundland's new lease agreements are set to be completed in “early autumn”, with stores opening by the end of 2023.

The news comes a day after administrators confirmed all the group’s remaining shops, warehouse and support centre workers are set to lose their jobs after failing to secure a rescue deal.

                                                                                            

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Family-owned Wilko employed 12,500 staff and ran 400 shops before it hired administrators early last month after it came under pressure from weak consumer spending and debts to suppliers.

The announcement comes on the final day of trading for 24 Wilko stores, in the first phase of the chain’s mass closures.