B&Q has confirmed that its 26,000 sq ft store in Wigston, Leicestershire, will close for good at 4pm on Saturday, October 3. The Bull Head Street branch has been part of the town for 39 years, with the Greater Wigston Historical Society recording the retailer opening at the site in June 1987.
Lease expiry leads to closure
Plans to close the branch first emerged in June, following rumours circulating online about the store's future. At that stage, shoppers had not been given a firm date for its final day, with B&Q explaining that its lease on the premises had come to an end and the landlord was not planning to renew it.
A B&Q spokesperson said: "We can confirm that the lease at our Wigston [store] has expired and our landlord does not intend to renew it, which regrettably means the store will close later this year.
"We are currently consulting with affected colleagues and our priority is to support them through this period of change, while continuing to explore alternative premises in the area."
Alternative locations offered
The company has left open the possibility of finding another home in the area despite the closure of the Bull Head Street branch. Shoppers who previously relied on the store are being directed towards two other B&Q locations in Leicestershire: the Leicester store in the LE4 0BG postcode area, and the branch in Hinckley, LE10 1HN.
The closure brings to an end B&Q's long-running presence at the Bull Head Street site, which stretches back to the late 1980s. B&Q is one of the UK's biggest home improvement and garden retailers, selling products ranging from decorating and building supplies to kitchens, bathrooms, tools and outdoor products.
