Poundland accelerates store revamps and rollout of frozen food to take on big grocers

Poundland has set out plans to offer an alternative to the big grocers by accelerating ‘Project Diamond’ which will bring new ranges to between 275 and 300 more stores between now and Autumn 2023.

More than 350 stores have already had Project Diamond makeovers in the last three years, bringing chilled and frozen food and more PEP&CO clothing and home departments to those locations.

That revamp is now being stepped up so almost all of Poundland’s UK locations will offer customers new and extended ranges by the end of September 2023.

In August, Poundland announced plans to open, relocate or extend up to 25 new stores by the end of this year. The next in line are Port Glasgow, Bloxwich, Swiss Cottage, Perth St Catherine’s and Morecambe, with more to come through November and December.

Recent openings include Broadstairs, Inverness, Aberdeen, Whitechapel, Bradford Forster Square and Speke.

December openings include two supersize stores through an extension at Denton Crown Point Shopping Park in Manchester and a new store at Peterborough’s Brotherhood Retail Park.  Each will be around 18,000 sq ft, putting them among the largest Poundlands in the country.

Poundland plans to unveil its ambitious store opening plans for 2023 early in the near year.

Since June, Poundland has increased the number of items available at its iconic £1 price point to help customers manage rising inflation.

Tim Bettley, Poundland’s commercial director, said: “Our ambition is to offer more value in more places through opening relocating and extending new stores and accelerating the rollout of Project Diamond so that customers can find more of what they need close to home.

“We’re working hard to extend our ranges in new categories such as chilled and frozen food and clothing and to constantly select the items that give customers value for money at a time when they need it the most.”