Wilko is staring right down the barrel as Wednesday’s deadline for offers to buy the embattled budget chain looms.
Though rivals B&M and Poundland were among parties tipped to be interested in buying Wilko earlier this week, a solid deal seems elusive.
PwC had set Wednesday as a deadline for any last-minute bids for the 93-year-old chain, following the professional services firm’s appointment as administrator last week.
However, as the deadline draws nearer, “the future of [Wilko’s] 12,000 staff is increasingly precarious,” Hargreaves Lansdown analysts said.
“The likelihood of a full takeover is considered to be slim,” analyst Susannah Streeter continued.
“Wilko’s sprawling store estate in high street locations has added to its pile of problems of supply chain snarl-ups and inflationary pressures.”
Whether any solid offers are made remains to be seen, with Wednesday marking the deadline for offers before these are considered and taken to a second round of the process on Friday.