Kidderminster Wilko staff went out on a high as the shop closed for the final time.
The doors shut at 6pm on Tuesday (September 26) with staff singing ‘I will survive’ and dancing the conga in an emotional goodbye to the town after almost 30 years.
Longest serving staff member, Wendy Stoten, 62, who has worked at the store since it opened in 1994, said: “It’s not sunk in properly, I haven’t processed that we’re never going to step foot in the store again.
“I was here when it opened and remember putting up the shelving, so to still be here when we’re taking all the shelves down is really hard to deal with. I’ll be in floods of tears when I get home.”
Despite the staff being upset at the closure, the team made the most of their time together by making signs asking for jobs, singing, dressing up and wishing their supervisor a happy birthday.
As it got closer to 6pm, customers and passersby clapped and cheered as the staff said goodbye to the town over the speakers and thanked everyone for their service.
Sally Maiden, 49, said: “I’ve worked here for 24 years, but took redundancy four years ago and came back.
“Although it’s been really upsetting, we’ve also been having a lot of fun and making memories together we can all treasure. We’ll always remember our Wilko family.”
The group have plans to stay in touch and will organise a night out together over the coming weeks to celebrate all their hard work over the past few decades.
Read more: Kidderminster Wilko closes for final time
Although some staff quickly want to return to work, others see it as an opportunity for family time.
Ms Stoten added: “I’ve not had Christmas off for 35 years, so I think it’s about time I treated myself.”
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