Can anybody please advise on the choice between the iMBA and the Warwick Distance Learning MBA?

I am in retail and would like to leverage an MBA to grow in my career. I am considering a possible change to consulting.

I know that the Warwick program is ranked by the FT but the iMBA is not. Is that a big deal?

I have nothing to say that isn't already in other posts on this board. 

I don't think the ranking is a big deal: UIUC simply isn't taking part in rankings and the cohort design makes it hard to work its data into rankings. 

Consulting is a big field. Warwick is a strong brand in the UK and many Commonwealth countries. UIUC has a different design, more like a general management MBA while the Warwick degree has better support for electives because if it's smaller core. 

You'd have much better success transitioning into consulting if you were to do an in-class program. Unless you already have connections in the industry, the career resources provided by an in-class program would help a lot in this regard.