Family clocks up 100 years between them working for 90-year-old retailer

A LOYAL member of staff who has worked for retailer Wilko for more than 40 years has been recognised for his service.

David Middleton is assistant manager at the Loughborough store, working for the chain for 41 years, and is part of a family that has clocked up more than 100 years’ service.

His brother, Nigel, works at the Worksop support centre, and is the longest-serving Wilko team member across the entire business, with 47 years of continuous employment, starting as a Saturday assistant at the Narborough Road store in 1973.

Working for Wilko has always been a family affair for the Middletons; Nigel met his wife Sharon while at work and she herself was a employee at the firm for 42 years.

Their two children, Gemma and Craig, both spent summer holidays working for Wilko - in fact Craig is now a full-time employee with a decade of experience, working as assistant merchandiser on food and confectionary at the retailer’s support centre.

The Middleton family is among dozens of team members celebrating long tenures at Wilko this year as part of the retailer’s 90th birthday commemorations.

Jerome Saint-Marc, chief executive, said: “It’s 90 years since we first opened our doors on the high street to free up hard-working families to be the best they can be by helping them get their jobs done.

“We’ve kept our doors open through every world event and this year we know firsthand when the ongoing coronavirus pandemic reached the UK, just how hard our team members have worked in supporting our customers.

“At Wilko we’re not just family owned, we are a family and this is what brings us together. We stand for similar values to respect each other, show we care, make it fun, be better every day and to pull together in our desire to help hardworking families.

“This is what makes Wilko different and why we’re so proud that many team members, such as Craig, David and Nigel Middleton, truly make wilko a part of their own family too.

“We’re truly thankful for the support of our team members, particularly those who have dedicated their careers entirely to Wilko, and look forward to working alongside one another for many years to come.”