Poundland is pulling out all the stops to open eight new stores, relocations and extensions on 10 December in a “Super Saturday” of openings to bring shoppers more choice just in time for Christmas.
The investment in new and enlarged stores is a vote of confidence by Poundland in the UK’s town centres and retail parks and contrasts with the usual high street narrative of gloom.
Providing work for more than 200 colleagues, including around 160 new roles, the new Poundland stores are bringing new life to locations left empty by other retailers.
The stores range from 3,800 square feet, serving their local neighbourhoods, to 18,000 square feet supersize stores offering huge ranges including dedicated PEP&CO clothing and homeware departments.
In total, the new stores will have almost 100,000 sq ft of space.
Poundland’s retail and property teams are making a final push to get the stores ready for “Super Saturday” on 10 December including:
- An extension at Crown Point Shopping Park, Denton, Greater Manchester, into the next-door furniture store to create a supersize store with 18,342 sq ft of space over two floors, with 55 colleagues, including 20 new recruits.
- A relocation at Brotherhood Retail Park, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, into the former Outfit and H&M units, to create a supersize store with 18,000 sq ft of space, with 40 colleagues including 28 new recruits.
- A relocation to 55 Moyston Street, Llandudno, North Wales, into the former M&S with 15,000 sq ft of space across two floors, employing 30 colleagues including 20 new recruits.
- A new store at 12 Rainham Shopping Centre, Rainham, Kent, in a former Iceland, with 3,800 sq ft and employing 16 colleagues.
- A new store at Greenbridge Retail Park, Swindon , Wiltshire, in a former Argos, with almost 7,000 sq ft and employing 15 colleagues.
- A new store at Aylesbury Shopping Park, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in a former Argos, with more than 14,000-plus sq ft, employing 15 colleagues. The existing popular town centre store remains open as usual.
- A new store at 11 Unity Walk, Tipton, West Midlands, in a former Co-op, with 8,000 sq ft, employing 16 colleagues.
- A new store at Rushmere Retail Park, Craigavon, Northern Ireland, in a former Menary’s, with 14,500 sq ft over two floors and employing 32 colleagues.
All the stores will offer a wide selection of everyday essentials such as groceries, drinks and snacks that shoppers love, as well as revamped health and beauty, entertainment, stationery and craft ranges, so customers can do more of their shopping in one trip.
There will also be wider ranges of chilled and frozen food and PEP&CO clothing and homewares, with the larger stores providing the choice and shopping experience customers would expect from the big grocers.
Poundland chief operating officer, Austin Cooke, said: “This investment in towns and cities up and down the country shows our commitment to bringing shoppers more choice and amazing value just when they need it the most.
“Whether it’s daily essentials at a neighbourhood store or choosing from our PEP&CO seasonal clothing range to make Christmas extra special this year, we’re there to help our customers find ways to cope with the pressures on their budgets.”
Opening eight stores in one day has required a massive effort by Poundland’s retail and property teams to carry out the necessary building and refitting work ready for shelf stocking, with the support of contractors, property agents and local councils.
Ben Wall, Poundland director of property portfolio, said: “It’s been a tremendous task to get these stores ready to open in time for Christmas and it’s a reflection of the dedication and hard work of all the teams involved at Poundland.
“We also owe a big thank you to the contractors who’ve worked tirelessly to help us get the stores ready and to the property agents who’ve been busy behind the scenes to keep the timetable on track.”
Among the agents involved in the 10 December openings were Prime Retail of London for the high street sites, Morgan Williams of London for the retail parks and Savills Belfast for the Craigavon store.
The December openings mark the culmination of an intense period of investment since August which has seen openings, relocations and extensions across the UK, including: Sutton Coldfield, Canterbury, Sheffield Meadowhall Retail Park, St Helens Broadstairs, Milton Keynes, Inverness, Aberdeen, Plumstead, Whitechapel, Speke, Bradford Forster Square, Perth, Bloxwich, Port Glasgow, Morecambe and Swiss Cottage in London, as well as a temporary relocation in Elgin, Scotland.
