Discount retailer pledges £1m to support food banks

Simon Arora

Liverpool-based discount retailer B&M has announced a national £1m donation to support UK food banks.

Each one of its 670 stores will support a local foodbank with a £1,500 donation of food, cleaning and personal hygiene goods to reach struggling families.

It’s hoped that this will allow for £1m-worth of groceries to reach struggling members of our communities quickly and efficiently during this national crisis.

To participate in the scheme, food bank organisers are being asked to register their details at www.bmstores.co.uk/news

B&M chief executive Simon Arora, said: “B&M is immensely proud of the part it has played this last week in helping families buy food, cleaning goods and essential toiletries.

“We have served seven million shoppers in seven days, and our colleagues have worked tirelessly to keep shelves stocked.

“We realise, however, that many of the communities we serve have households in them that are really struggling to buy their groceries due to recent lay-offs.

“We hope that this donation at grass roots local level across the whole of the UK will allow some essential groceries to get to those who need them as quickly as possible.”

Within the past week products sold in B&M have seen a huge surge in sales – products include toilet rolls (300% increase), as well as hand wash (1,200%), Tinned Tuna (583%) and even Pot Noodles (610%)

B&M’s six warehouses across the UK have switched capacity to grocery items – prioritising those that are most in demand – such as food, cleaning products and toiletries.

Warehouses run 24 hours a day and more than 3,400 deliveries have been made to stores this past week to ensure that they get a continuous flow of new stock.

As a result of the strong demand they have created an additional 300 jobs at their depots in Speke and Bedford – giving priority to local applicants who have been recently laid off due to Covid19.

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