Celebrations held as UK's 'fastest growing retailer' takes on ex-Wilko unit in Boston

Discount retailer ​OneBeyond has taken on the unit in the Pescod Square Shopping Centre that up until late September had been occupied by Wilko for the best part of 20 years.

On Friday, the branch was launched by Mayor of Boston Coun David Brown, area manager David Clarke, store manager Sarah Walsham, centre manager Lisa Fitzgerald, and Pescod Square mascot Pescod Panda.

Coun Brown said: “Today marks a significant milestone for Boston as we embrace the opening of OneBeyond.

“It is truly an honour to be invited here to open this new store, a symbol of progress and

community growth. May this new venture bring prosperity to our town and shopping happiness to its residents.”

OneBeyond is a discount retailer set up by the founders of Poundworld. It launched in 2019 and now has more than 100 stores nationwide.

On its website, OneBeyond states that the Poundworld brand amassed 350 stores across the UK before its sale in 2015.

“After the sale in 2015, Poundworld made a strategic change which led to its demise and exit from the UK high street in 2018, this left a huge gap in the UK market, today OneBeyond is filling that void and rapidly gaining the market share that Poundworld once had,” it adds.

Centre manager Lisa Fitzgerald said: “We are thrilled that so many customers ventured out on Friday to visit the new store OneBeyond.

“OneBeyond is the newest and fastest growing retailer in the UK and are proud that they have chosen Pescod Square Shopping Centre in Boston as one of their new store locations.”

Boston’s branch of Wilko closed on September 27 after the chain went into administration the month before. It had traded there since 2019.