Poundland has announced it will transform 10 Fultons chilled and frozen food stores into Poundland or PEP&CO formats in time for Christmas.
As part of a pilot scheme, two Fultons stores will be converted into Poundland Local convenience stores, five will become traditional Poundland stores and three will be refurbished as standalone PEP&CO Clothing & Home stores.
The rollout of chilled and frozen food is already underway to over 50 more Poundland stores.
READ MORE: Poundland acquires Fultons Foods, so what’s next for its frozen food offering?
The announcement comes as Poundland rolls out the next phase of its Diamond ICE project, bringing chilled and frozen food to another 50-plus stores – including a significant number in Northern Ireland – in a project powered by the 2020 acquisition of Barnsley-based frozen food specialist Fultons Foods.
The two Fultons stores which will become Poundland Locals are at Holbeck (Leeds) and Langold (Nottinghamshire).
It follows the launch in May of the first two Poundland Local stores in Kendray, South Yorkshire, and Hornsea, East Yorkshire.
Smaller than a typical Poundland, their compact design allows them to serve neighbourhoods not currently served by Poundland and retains full chilled and frozen food range.
Five Fultons stores – at Batley (West Yorkshire), Brighouse (West Yorkshire), Colne (Lancashire), Killamarsh (Derbyshire) and Hucknall (Nottinghamshire) – will be transformed into Poundland stores, bringing customers additional choice alongside the frozen and chilled food that will also remain part of the offer.
Meanwhile, three Fultons stores that are already close to an existing Poundland – at Garforth in Leeds, Westhoughton near Bolton and Crookes in Sheffield – will become standalone PEP&CO stores, bringing PEP&CO’s amazing value family fashion and homewares to town.
It follows the successful conversion of Poundland stores in Corporation Street, Birmingham, and Hertford Street, Coventry, to PEP&CO.
“Today’s announcement is another example of the way we’re transforming the customer offer in our stores,” Poundland retail and transformation director, Austin Cooke said.
“And becoming the best Poundland we can be for our shoppers, is what motivates us to move at an amazing pace.
“We’re proud that this transformation programme – extending chilled and frozen foods, clothing and homewares is helping support town centres and high streets at a time they need it most.”
Poundland expects to employ around 20 more colleagues across the 10 stores once they’re converted to their new format.
Phase five of the Diamond ICE project has begun with the introduction of chilled and frozen food to the Shanklin and Ryde stores on the Isle of Wight.
Customers at another 50 stores, mainly in the south of England and in Northern Ireland, will get new chilled and frozen food ranges between now and early December.
The next phase will take the total number of Poundland stores offering chilled and frozen food to over 250 in just two years since the first pilot opened in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
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