Poundland launches convenience stores

The Walsall-based single price chain has identified an opportunity to open up in smaller units as satellites to its bigger stores in cities and major towns and as standalone small shops in smaller towns where there is currently no Poundland presence.

Chief executive Barry Williams said the first Poundland essentials convenience stores had just been opened in Yorkshire.

It comes after the company opened its first online shop for customers living in Walsall and Birmingham.

Poundland's central operations have been transferring since November from Willenhall to its new customer support centre in Midland Road, Walsall.

The investment in the new centre amounts to £5 million and it will eventually house 350 staff but through Covid has not been up to 50 per cent occupancy.

Mr Williams said of the essentials convenience stores: "We will be extending that model to other parts of the country

"We have medium-sized stores but there are only so many you can lay down in the market

"The small store format allows us to compete for more market share. There are plenty of towns and and markets where you can have a large store and smaller stores to complement it.

"The difference is we operate one price irrespective of where we are which is unique in the market.

"The challenge if we got involved in small stores was could we do it and keep to one price and we have made a great start to that.

Mr Williams said there was plenty of space to move into in the retail market where businesses had failed or gone through a really difficult time.

"We don't want to profit out of the difficulties of other retailers but it is important to grow this business and we are going to do the best that we can," he added.

Since opening its first store in Burton-upon-Trent in 1990, Poundland, has built a network of over 850 stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland it now has around 18,000 staff who serve over seven million customers every week.