Fri, 13 Jun 2025

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 I was Mrs Poundland, but I stopped going when their prices went up

After the budget retailer was sold for £1, we hear from shoppers and experts on why its popularity has waned.

* Poundland, a budget retail chain, has been struggling and was sold for £1 by its owner Pepco to a US investment firm, Gordon Brothers.
* Up to 100 stores are at risk of closure due to the company's struggles, which include increased prices and reduced quality of products.
* The company's decision to raise some prices from £1 in 2017 alienated its core shopper base, with many customers cutting back on their purchases.
* Poundland has 825 stores in the UK, many of which are former Woolworths or Wilko branches that it acquired after the brands collapsed.
* The retailer's presence in small towns has been crucial to fostering customer loyalty, but de Mello says that when Poundland expanded into these areas, not enough people visited its stores.
* Poundland's expansion into fashion and its Pep&Co clothing range also faced problems, including reduced availability of sizes.
* The company's wide product range made it vulnerable to competition from other brands, such as Aldi and Lidl on the food side and Home Bargains and B&M on homewares.
* Shoppers like Elizabeth Gray and Elinor Martin express loyalty to Poundland and hope that the company will recover.
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