// Poundland to refresh or open nearly 50 stores ahead of Christmas
// The investment includes new openings, extensions, conversions and rapid rollout of chilled and frozen food
Poundland has announced it will open or refurbish nearly 50 stores across the UK in time for Christmas.
The discount retailer will “give customers an early Christmas present” by opening or making big changes to almost 50 stores in November and December.
The investment includes new openings, extensions, conversions and the rapid rollout of chilled and frozen food.
READ MORE: Poundland to launch first-ever national TV ad after store revamp
The seven new stores scheduled for opening in November and December are: Larne (Northern Ireland), Rayleigh (Essex), Southampton West Quay, Ballymoney (Northern Ireland), Durham Arnison Retail Park, Huddersfield Retail Park and Newtonabbey Retail Park (Northern Ireland).
Customers in Bracknell (Berkshire), Consett Hermiston Retail Park (County Durham) and Belfast Cityside are to receive more choice with the opening of extensions that will include wider ranges, including PEP&CO family clothing and contemporary homeware.
Nine Fultons Foods stores in the north and Midlands, which became part of Poundland following the acquisition of Fultons Foods last year, are being given a new look and converted to Poundland, Poundland Local or standalone PEP&CO stores under plans announced last month.
Nearly 40 stores will get chilled and frozen food in November and December as part of the latest phase of Project Diamond ICE.
Along with 16 that got the new ranges in October, it means that by mid-December more than 250 stores will have chilled and frozen in a programme that started with a single trial store in 2019.
“We’re working flat out to get new stores opened and existing stores refurbished in time for Christmas so that customers can see the best of what Poundland has to offer,” Poundland managing director Barry Williams said.
“This is just the latest stage in our transformation which has seen makeovers at hundreds of stores and a radical revamp of our product ranges. We’ll be pressing ahead with more changes in the new year.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette’s free daily email newsletter
