Poundland to open 75 stores in three months to December
Poundland today confirmed it intends to open or relocate 75 stores over the three months to the end of December – the largest three-month growth programme in its history.
The programme covers both its existing pipeline of new stores, and the former Wilko stores it has already opened, or plans to open, as new Poundland stores.
This month the discount retailer has already opened new stores in Telford (Forge Retail Park) and Stafford (Queens Retail Park) and plans additional openings and relocations in the following places:
November 2023:
- Unit 33-35, Butterly Business Park, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin, D05 YY13 (Pepco)
- 12-18 Southgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2DH (relocation)
- Unit 31, 11 Cornmarket, Lancaster, LA1 1AL (relocation)
- Unit B, Pallion Retail Park, Sunderland, SR4 6TY
- 26 Stonehills, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6NA
- 21-23 High Street, Portishead, BS20 6AB (relocation)
- 3 Market Street, Crewkerne, TA18 7JP
December 2023:
- 38 High Street, Midsomer Norton, Radstock, BA3 2DL
- 34-38 Midland Road, Bedford, MK40 1PS
- 72-72A Preston Street, Faversham, ME13 8PA
- 34-35 High Street, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 7AQ
- Unit 3, The Harlequin Centre, High Street, Watford, WD17 2TW (relocation)
- 44-46 High Road, Wood Green, London, N22 6BX (relocation)
- Unit 4, Cleveragh Retail Park, Sligo (Pepco)
- 27/29 High Street, Wells, BA5 2AA
- 10B, The Fort Shopping Park, 20 Fort Parkway, Birmingham, B24 9FP
- 59 The Broadway, Plymstock, Plymouth, PL9 7AX (relocation)
Precise opening dates for each of these new stores and relocations will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
The new stores Poundland plans to open this quarter include an additional former Wilko (Birmingham Fort), and six former M&Co units (Portishead, Crewkerne, Midsomer Norton, Faversham, Newport and Wells).
Its new store in Watford will also be a major milestone for Poundland – for the first time it will relocate to part of a former John Lewis unit, bringing its clothing and homewares ranges to a new audience.
Another 19 former Wilko stores will also begin their Poundland journey over the next two weeks, bringing the total number of rapid Wilko-to-Poundland conversions to 56.
The opening timetable for these former Wilko stores is as follows:
Saturday 28 October 2023:
- Unit A3, Carregaman Road, Ammanford, SA18 3ED
- 13 Institute Lane, Alfreton, DE55 7BQ
- 12 Vale House, Pavilion Shopping Centre, Thornaby, TS17 9FD
- 15 Market Place, South Shields, NE33 1JF
- Unit 15-18 Killingworth Centre, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE12 6YT
- Level 3, Darwin Shopping Centre, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 1PL
- Unit 38, Salter Shopping Centre, St Andrews Square, Droitwich, WR9 8HE
- 3-7 High Street, Redhill, RH1 1RD
- Epic House, 2 Charles Street, Leicester, LE1 3JA
- 18-19 Bancroft, Hitchen, SG5 1JQ
Saturday 4 November 2023:
- Unit 16, Lagny Street, Alnwick, NE66 1LB
- 22-24 Headingley Central, Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 2UE
- 48-52 Freeman Street, Grimsby, DN32 7AG
- Unit 11, St Andrews Retail Park, Hull, HU3 4EH
- 12-14 Bore Street, Lichfield, WS13 6LL
- 30-40 High Street, Wombwell, Barnsley, S73 8AA
- Edmonton Green Shopping Centre, 3-11 North Square, London, N9 0TZ
- 41 Hamilton Way, Oak Mall Centre, Greenock, PA15 1RQ
- 32 Yoden Way, Castle Dene Shopping Centre, Peterlee, SR8 1AL
In Redhill, Hull, Greenock and Peterlee, Poundland will relocate into the Wilko units from existing nearby stores.
All new Poundland stores – both Wilko and non-Wilko units – will carry the extensive grocery, household and general merchandise ranges customers expect. They will also feature the very latest Pepco family clothing that has rolled out to 500-plus of Poundland’s existing UK and Ireland stores.
Austin Cooke, Poundland’s managing director said:
“To open 75 stores in the space of a single quarter is nothing short of a super-human effort from every member of the Poundland team. To each and every one of them I say ‘thank you’.
“But we’re working at this pace because we’re on a mission –ambitious to grow, create jobs and serve new communities by opening shops customers and communities can be proud of.”
Poundland continues to prioritise former Wilko colleagues for roles in Poundland and encourage them to follow Poundland’s posts on LinkedIn or visit www.poundlandcareers.co.uk to find details of open roles and how to apply for them.
To date, Poundland has made offers of employment to over 500 former Wilko colleagues.
