A former Wilko has been gutted as a third tenant in less than 12 months prepares to move in.

The site in St George’s Street, Canterbury, has been emptied with new windows and paint sprucing up the building after becoming an eyesore in the city centre.

Wilko shut all of its stores after going into administration in August 2023, with the branch bringing the shutters down for good the following month.

It has since been acquired by the Arora Family, a property tycoon with a strong portfolio in Canterbury.

Arora also owns the buildings occupied by The Ivy restaurant, Hotel Chocolat and Superdry.

The Crash mobile phone and vape stand, located inside the former entrance of the store, will shut on Sunday, according to workers.

The new arrival – whose identity is not yet known – will be the third time a business has tried to make a go of it in the huge city centre site since Wilko departed.

It was previously home to furniture seller Aamad Trading, which suddenly closed in October, leaving some customers thousands of pounds out of pocket.

A bailiff notice was posted on the front door, stating: “These premises have today been seized on the authority of the landlord.”

Store owner Canterbury Estates Ltd says the tenants had defaulted on rent payments.

Previously Amada boss Taz Shaikh told KentOnline he was in it for the long-term, having taken out a 10-year lease.

He promised “affordable luxury” upon opening the shop in March.

In the weeks before Christmas, a pop-up toy and bric-a-brac store – but only proved to be a temporary addition.