Giant new B&M store coming to Wigan’s Robin Park

The B&M store is due to open at the former Wickes store on September 29.

While no further information is available at this time, the Liverpool-based bargain chain has confirmed that its two existing stores – in Wigan town centre and at Marus Bridge – will both remain open and trade alongside this new store.

The news that B&M will be opening up a large branch will be good news for Robin Park after it was hit by the blows of Wickes, Poundstretcher and the Empire cinema closing their doors in recent months. It also lost the Argos store after the chain was taken over by Sainsbury’s and moved all its outlets instore.

A new Taco Bell drive-thru restaurant is also being built at Wigan’s flagship retail and leisure park.

Wickes had been a feature of the Robin Park retail park since it opened in the 1990s, but in May the shutters went up for good without any explanation.

And last month Wigan’s only cinema suddenly closed and made all its staff redundant after the owners of the cinema chain collapsed into administration.

A notice was pinned to the door informing customers that joint administrators had been appointed to manage the company’s business affairs and assets, and had been authorised to act as insolvency practitioners.

Ironically the closure came just before the opening of big films like Barbie and Oppenheimer saw UK cinemas enjoy their best audience figures for many years.

There will be relief that a retailer has decided to open a new branch of its business at Robin Park but not at the expense of another store in beleaguered Wigan town centre.

Marks and Spencer famously abandoned the large and historic Standishgate building it owned to rent a smaller space at the out-of-town venue to sell food only.

Clothing and home goods chain TK Maxx also ditched its Grand Arcade pitch for a new one at Robin Park.

Bosses of the Grand Arcade have themselves been welcoming new retailers in recent months and say more announcements are imminent.

But there are now also fears for Wigan and Leigh Wilko jobs after the troubled company filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.