A FORMER Wilko store has been acquired in a major retail deal in Bedford town centre.
The sale, to anonymous new owners, follows Bedford Borough Council’s recent purchase of the nearby vacant Debenhams building. The deal for the 36,900 sq ft property in High Street, overlooking the town square, is seen as a huge boost for the town centre.
The two upper floors of the three-storey Wilko building, vacant since the collapse of the budget homeware chain in 2023, are expected to be redeveloped by the new owners. There is early interest from a furniture operator in leasing the ground floor, said commercial property consultancy Kirkby Diamond, which acted on behalf of the vendors.
Nathan George, associate and head of agency at Kirkby Diamond’s Bedford office, said: “While the closure of the Wilko store was undoubtedly a blow, the potential transformation of the building in a fantastic high street location by the new owners is very exciting.
“We are very pleased to see another landmark building sold for redevelopment. It follows the sale of the former Debenhams building, which we completed earlier this year, giving the town centre retail sector a double boost moving into the new year.”
The building has potential for existing retail use, leisure and/or residential development, he added. Kirkby Diamond also marketed the former Debenhams department store in the town centre.
“Before long we hope to have a new tenant trading from the ground floor which will be another positive lift for the town,” said Nathan.
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