Everyone will remember 2023 as the year Wilko closed - and it's no different for Romford Recorder readers.

Readers took to social media to lament the loss of beloved stores, after we asked you to name the business that closed in 2023 that you were most sad about.

Wilko, perhaps unsurprisingly, was the most mentioned.

One reader said: "I was gutted when it closed because there is no 'other version' of it at B&M, the Range, or whatever.

"Wilko was unique and I am sad it's gone."

Another reader simply expressed her sadness with a crying emoji, showing how the closure hit home.

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Wilko closed its remaining stores on October 8.

East London saw its Wilko stores in Romford, Ilford and Stratford shut in October.

The announcement of this closure had indeed marked an end of an era for many in the area.

Despite the closure, the Wilko brand is not vanishing entirely.

The retail chain The Range has purchased the Wilko brand, website and intellectual property, intending to sell its products in its own stores.

Other businesses that will be missed by readers include Debenhams, Romford Pie n Mash, and Darvill & Son's butchers in Gidea Park.

Reader Des Cole said it was "more than just a butcher - was the heart of the local community".

Readers also said they would miss the Reservoir Dogs Café, which announced on Facebook that it would close on a temporary basis due to the cost of living crisis, and the Fags & Mags Newsagents.