Poundland plans to close 68 stores and STOP selling popular range as part of rescue deal to save chain
BIG CHANGES Poundland plans to close 68 stores and STOP selling popular range as part of rescue deal to save chain
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POUNDLAND has confirmed plans to shut 68 stores, with up to 150 at risk of closure.
The struggling discount chain was sold for just £1 last week and it was expected a major shake-up would be needed to rescue it.
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Poundland is expected to close 68 of its stores as part of the restructuring plan
Credit: Alamy
Poundland has now announced a huge series of changes aimed at keeping itself afloat.
They include ditching its frozen food items, getting rid of its loyalty scheme app and no longer selling products online.
The Poundland Perks rewards app was only launched in October last year.
Meanwhile the website had been selling items online since September 2023.
Barry Williams, managing director of Poundland, said: "It's no secret that we have much work to do to get Poundland back on track.
"While Poundland remains a strong brand, serving 20m-plus shoppers each year, our performance for a significant period has fallen short of our high standards and action is needed to enable the business to return to growth.
"It's sincerely regrettable that this plan includes the closure of stores and distribution centres, but it's necessary if we're to achieve our goal of securing the future of thousands of jobs and hundreds of stores.
"It goes without saying that if our plans are approved, we will do all we can to support colleagues who will be directly affected by the changes."
Investment fund Gordon Brothers snapped up the discount chain last week and said it would go ahead with proposed restructuring plans.
This is what has been proposed:
Closing 68 stores and negotiating rent reductions at a number of other locations
Getting rid of frozen food products at all stores where they're currently sold
It's now expected the chain will keep around 650 to 700 of its stores across the country.
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Last week, Pepco Group sold the discount chain for £1 after it had been hit by a sharp downturn in trading in recent years. On Tuesday, Poundland said it is seeking court approval for a restructuring plan to shut 68 shops and secure rent reductions on dozens more. The retailer said it expects to end up with between 650 and 700 stores after the overhaul. It currently runs around 800 stores across the UK and Ireland but stressed Irish shops have not been affected. Poundland said it also plans to close its frozen and digital distribution site at Darton, South Yorkshire, later this year and another warehouse at Springvale in Bilston, West Midlands, in early 2026. Around 350 people will be affected by the warehouse closures. The company has not disclosed how many store workers will be impacted. It will also stop selling frozen food at stores where its currently offered and reduce its chilled food offer in the future.
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39 minutes ago
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Last week, Pepco Group sold the discount chain for £1 after it had been hit by a sharp downturn in trading in recent years. On Tuesday, Poundland said it is seeking court approval for a restructuring plan to shut 68 shops and secure rent reductions on dozens more. It is understood that around 1,000 shop workers are set to be affected by the restructuring. The discount chain, known for primarily selling products for £1, also indicated it will shut dozens more of its UK shops in the coming years under the new ownership. The retailer said it expects to end up with between 650 and 700 stores across the UK and Ireland after the overhaul. It currently runs around 800 stores but stressed Irish shops have not been affected by the restructuring plan. Poundland said it also plans to close its frozen and digital distribution site at Darton, South Yorkshire, later this year and another warehouse at Springvale in Bilston, West Midlands, in early 2026. Around 350 people will be affected by the warehouse closures. It will also stop selling frozen food at stores where it's currently offered and reduce its chilled food offer in the future. The warehouse closures are also linked to Poundland's plan to stop online sales through its website. Bosses said they expect the court proceedings for the restructuring to conclude in late summer. Barry Williams, managing director of Poundland, said: 'It's no secret that we have much work to do to get Poundland back on track. 'While Poundland remains a strong brand, serving 20 million-plus shoppers each year, our performance for a significant period has fallen short of our high standards and action is needed to enable the business to return to growth. 'It's sincerely regrettable that this plan includes the closure of stores and distribution centres, but it's necessary if we're to achieve our goal of securing the future of thousands of jobs and hundreds of stores. 'It goes without saying that if our plans are approved, we will do all we can to support colleagues who will be directly affected by the changes.' Last month, Poundland reported revenues dropped by 6.5% to 985 million euros (£830 million) for the six months to March, compared with a year earlier. The brand suffered 'challenges across all categories' and had 18 net store closures over the period.
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42 minutes ago
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1,300-plus jobs at risk as Poundland plans to shut 68 shops and two warehouses
Last week, Pepco Group sold the discount chain for £1 after it had been hit by a sharp downturn in trading in recent years. On Tuesday, Poundland said it is seeking court approval for a restructuring plan to shut 68 shops and secure rent reductions on dozens more. It is understood that around 1,000 shop workers are set to be affected by the restructuring. The discount chain, known for primarily selling products for £1, also indicated it will shut dozens more of its UK shops in the coming years under the new ownership. The retailer said it expects to end up with between 650 and 700 stores across the UK and Ireland after the overhaul. It currently runs around 800 stores but stressed Irish shops have not been affected by the restructuring plan. Poundland said it also plans to close its frozen and digital distribution site at Darton, South Yorkshire, later this year and another warehouse at Springvale in Bilston, West Midlands, in early 2026. Around 350 people will be affected by the warehouse closures. It will also stop selling frozen food at stores where it's currently offered and reduce its chilled food offer in the future. The warehouse closures are also linked to Poundland's plan to stop online sales through its website. Bosses said they expect the court proceedings for the restructuring to conclude in late summer. Barry Williams, managing director of Poundland, said: 'It's no secret that we have much work to do to get Poundland back on track. 'While Poundland remains a strong brand, serving 20 million-plus shoppers each year, our performance for a significant period has fallen short of our high standards and action is needed to enable the business to return to growth. 'It's sincerely regrettable that this plan includes the closure of stores and distribution centres, but it's necessary if we're to achieve our goal of securing the future of thousands of jobs and hundreds of stores. 'It goes without saying that if our plans are approved, we will do all we can to support colleagues who will be directly affected by the changes.' Last month, Poundland reported revenues dropped by 6.5% to 985 million euros (£830 million) for the six months to March, compared with a year earlier. The brand suffered 'challenges across all categories' and had 18 net store closures over the period.
