Poundland Really Can Help You Save Money

With personal finances under pressure, this Christmas, perhaps more than ever, people are seeking out bargains to help save money. Research by Poundland shows that consumers are going to spend hours making sure they get the best deals.

A survey of 2,000 UK shoppers conducted by price discount retailer, Poundland, shows that 40% of consumers plan to spend at least ten hours in December searching out Christmas bargains.

Amazingly, some 20% of consumers will spend three hours each week in December researching where the best deals are – that’s equivalent to two whole working days!

To make sure of getting the best deal to save money, shoppers are foregoing brand loyalty and visiting at least three different stores to purchase weekly household and grocery essentials.

Jim McCarthy, CEO at Poundland comments: “It’s clear that when shoppers feel squeezed, brand loyalty becomes less important than getting the best price.

“Supermarkets change their offers all the time; it leaves consumers confused and pushes them to shop around before making a purchase. By contrast, with one single price point, shoppers can be savvy and budget as they fill their basket, making it easier to work out whether they’re getting a bargain. There’ll also be no shock with the final price of their basket at the till point.”

Shopping in budget stores, such as Poundland, is now becoming socially acceptable. Over 50% of consumers who took part in the research said they now shopped regularly in budget stores. Just two years ago this picture was very different when one in three of this group confirmed they wouldn’t have even stepped foot in a discount store.

McCarthy continues: “Consumers now talk about ‘good deals’ they’ve found and share them with friends and family. It’s obviously great for discount retailers – however, we do need to continue offering shoppers exceptional quality products for amazing value.”

MoneyHighStreet comments: “This year has seen a shift as more consumers head to discount supermarkets, including such as Lidl and frozen food chains such as Iceland and Farm Foods, as well as the likes of Poundland.

There is a clear opportunity to save money. For example, looking at a basket of Christmas goodies and comparing prices across a variety of stores, you can see from the following table just how much you can save:

Many retail outlets are also trying to tempt you through early sales and some fantastic special offers, including John Lewis for example with their price match deals.

Some are also offering extra discounts for shopping online – Marks and Spencer for example have an online exclusive of 25% off selected items.