UK Consumer Goods Chain Wilko Breaks Up With The National Lottery

Posted on: January 2, 2023, 11:42h. 

Last updated on: January 2, 2023, 01:40h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Lottery products, from scratch-offs that can win a few dollars to PowerBalls and EuroMillions with massive prizes, are always popular. And many retailers use them to attract consumers to make other purchases. However, a consumer goods chain in the UK has decided that the National Lottery no longer needs to be a part of the family.

Wilko store
A Wilko consumers goods store in the UK on a cloudy day. The chain has announced that it will no longer sell National Lottery products. (Image: Yorkshire Live)

The end of 2022 and the beginning of the new year brought changes to the Wilko chain of stores in the UK. The company decided it doesn’t need to continue to work with Camelot and the National Lottery.

It’s not totally clear why the company decided to make the change now. Camelot, which operates the Lottery, recently reported record numbers. But Wilko hints at the change being based on money.

Shop Somewhere Else

Lottery products are often a great way to get consumers into a store. Purchasing a lottery ticket turns into a shopping trip, even if it’s just to pick up one or two products.

However, Wilko, according to the Nottingham Post, no longer feels it’s a necessary relationship. The company reportedly said the decision is a “smart choice,” and that offering lottery products is no longer a “priority.” In addition, if it were to change its mind, it would “require a significant investment” to continue.

Instead of offering National Lottery products, Wilko wants to focus on its brand. It said that it wants to improve the customer experience, as well as its relationship with its employees.

In addition, the company says the decision won’t reduce the investment to worthy causes the Lottery provides. This is because it offers its own charitable activity, which reportedly provides as much as ￡10,000 (US$12,046) a week for good causes.

Over the past four years, according to Wilko, it has donated over ￡2 million (US$2.4 million) through its program. Among the recipients have been charities Save the Children, the Alzheimer’s Society and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Wilko currently operates 370 stores in England and Wales, according to its corporate website. They offer household goods and appliances, garden equipment, DIY equipment, and more.

National Lottery On A High

The National Lottery continues to outdo itself. Camelot, which is still operating the Lottery until Allwyn officially takes over in 2024, recently released the figures for the first half of its current financial year, reporting a new record in sales.

Across the first six months of the period, Camelot recorded a record in sales. It will be one of the highlights of the company as it begins to wind down before turning over the keys to Allwyn.

In total, Camelot saw over ￡4 billion (US$4.82 billion) in sales during the first half of the new fiscal year, which just wrapped up. This marks the first time since the company began operating the National Lottery that it has reached this level, according to a company statement.

That has proven to benefit worthy causes as well. Camelot said that it had donated ￡956.5 million (US$1.15 billion) in the period, the highest-ever for the first six months of a fiscal year. For all of 2022, it delivered over ￡1.9 billion (US$2.28 billion).