POUNDLAND is one of Britain’s best-loved budget stores – but more than half of its stock no longer costs a quid.
The chain’s owner Pepco Group has admitted that 58 per cent of items sold in the year up to September 2022 were outside its signature £1 price point.
The revelation came as shoppers face further squeezes on their finances, with a recent Which? investigation finding that some basic groceries have now gone up by nearly a third.
So is Poundland – which launched its first store in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, in 1990 – still the best place to bag a bargain?
Or can you get more for your money at rivals B&M, Savers, Wilko or Home Bargains? We hit the aisles to find out.
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CADBURY DAIRY MILKBAR 95g
Poundland: £1
Wilko: Not in stock
Savers: £1.25
B&M: £1.25
Home Bargains: £1.09
VERDICT: Poundland wins at £1 a bar – 9p cheaper than Home Bargains in second place.
QUILTED TOILET ROLL (4-pack)
Poundland: £1.75
Wilko: £2
Savers: £1.69
B&M: £2.49
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Home Bargains: £1.65
VERDICT: Loo roll was cheapest at Home Bargains, with Poundland mid-priced.
COLGATE ANTI-CAVITY TOOTHPASTE 100ml
Poundland: £1
Wilko: £1.20. Not in stock – substituted with Colgate Triple Action 100ml
Savers: 95p
B&M:95p
Home Bargains: 89p
VERDICT: Home Bargains wins again with 11p saving, while Savers and B&M also came in cheaper.
BOTTLE OF BASIC BLEACH 750ml
Poundland: 70p
Wilko: 60p
Savers: 59p
B&M: 55p
Home Bargains: 55p
VERDICT: A joint win for Home Bargains and B&M, at 15p cheaper.
RICH CLASSIC COFFEE GRANULES
Poundland: £2 for 100g jar
Wilko: Do not sell coffee
Savers: £3.89 for 200g jar
B&M: £3.49 for 200g jar
Home Bargains: £5.49 for 300g jar
VERDICT: A tricky one as every store did different sizes, but B&M was best value at £1.75 per 100g.
FAIRY WASHING-UP LIQUID 383ml
Poundland: £1
Wilko: £1
Savers: £1
B&M: £1
Home Bargains: 99p
VERDICT: Home Bargains takes it again, this time by a slim 1p margin.
McVITIE’S TASTIES DIGESTIVES 300g
Poundland: £1
Wilko: Biscuits not stocked
Savers: 79p
B&M: 59p
Home Bargains: Did not stock it – substituted with Gullon Sugar Free Digestives, 400g, 79p.
VERDICT: B&M wins by a mile at almost HALF the price of Poundland.
TY-PHOO ONE CUP TEA BAGS x 100
Poundland: £1
Wilko: Do not sell tea
Savers: £1
B&M: £1
Home Bargains: 98p
VERDICT: Home Bargains came in 2p cheaper than all other stores.
CAREX ORIGINAL SHOWER GEL 500ml
Poundland: £1
Wilko: Not in stock – substituted with own-brand product, 90p.
Savers: £1
B&M: £1
Home Bargains: 99p
VERDICT: Home Bargains offered the best-value branded shower gel, with a saving of a penny.