WHAT IS IT?
As you may have guessed, Everything5pounds.com is a shopping platform where every item available costs £5.
Although the majority of the items available are women’s fashion, it also includes a menswear and homeware range.
Boasting over one million registered customers, the platform adds new items daily and stocks sell out very fast.
Many of the items are reportedly sourced from large high street brands which sell their deadstock in bulk to the site, allowing customers to pick up big-label fashion for a fraction of the price.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Once the app is downloaded you can get shopping straight away. Although you can create an account easily via Facebook, Google or your personal email, you are not required to set one up to browse or make a purchase.
The homepage displays various women’s clothing categories, which generally stick to the categories available in the drop-down menu in the top left, creating a simple and basic user interface reminiscent of a print catalogue.
The range is eclectic, including both ex-high street stock and stock that is off brand and was intended to be sold at market stalls or similar third-party sellers.
Unless you have a particularly good eye for high street items, there will be no way to tell which is which as the site is prevented from telling you.
The original price of the items is also withheld, so there is no way to well which items represent the biggest discount, leaving choice purely down to the taste of the user.
Alongside women’s and men’s ranges, there is a homewear, children’s and VIP Designer section.
The latter includes items which are not £5, but retain their brands and still purport to be sold at a significant discount.
Once items have been purchased, there is a simple shopping bag and payment section, where you’ll be given the choice of standard of first class delivery, at the minimum of £3.95 per order.
HOW WELL DOES IT WORK?
As an app Everything5pounds is sleek and incredibly simple. You are not bombarded by any flashing adverts, time limits or extra bargain opportunities.
There were a few minor problems with the app crashing on my initial tests, especially when pressing the back button to try and close the app.
The items available are sourced from mid-range fashion retailers like Topshop, Asos and Zara, usually from the past season.
Although it’s true many of these items’ RRPs were likely well above £5, the nature of the app means it’s never clear just how much of a bargain you’re getting. Some items may well have been a little over this price in a mid-season sale.
The womenswear range is surprisingly large, with an impressive selection of dresses and shoes. Unfortunately, the menswear and homeware sections have far more limited ranges.
Furthermore, many of the sizes are incredibly limited, and in the menswear lines are often obscure sizes, though this is not so prevalent in the women’s lines.
Unlike many budget shopping apps, the pictures and information available for all the items are fantastic. Every angle is covered, as you’d expect from big-name sites like Asos, while the model’s height and size is also given.
The quality of the items can vary, with the former high street items generally being great, but the brandless items’ quality varying vastly.
The VIP Designer section also has a surprisingly large range, but again the ranges are often limited to one size.
Various leading brands like Lacoste, Diesel and Tenki are included, as are the items’ original RRP. However, with a little research some of these were found to be a little dubious.
A Versace Jeans crossbody bag which was advertised on the site for £80, previously £250, can be found on sites like Amazon for a similar price.
A minimum postage payment of £3.95 per order means that you’re really encouraged to buy in bulk, as you’ll be paying nearly as much for a single item in postage costs.
Standard orders should take around 10 working days to arrive, but there is a £6.70 option for next day delivery, which again compared to today’s biggest online retailers is pricey.
SHOULD I TRY IT?
As a shopping experience the app is fantastic, incredibly simple and easy to use.
Like every bargain shopping outlet from TK Maxx to Wish, the quality of the items and actual discount you’re getting will vary from item to item.
However, the womenswear range is surprisingly extensive and if bought in bulk there is no doubt a savvy shopper with a good eye could pick up some great pieces at a fantastic price.
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