Pound shops - Are they worth it?

bonjovi99

I bought a pack of AA batteries a month ago, they've leaked inside the remote control & the clock. At the same time I bought a pack of screwdriver bits for an electric screwdriver, the metal was so soft they were all worn out putting together one set of bedside cabinets. Not impressed - false economy.

Silver-Cat

I think it depends what you buy.

I've bought all sorts from these cheaper shops and saved myself a fortune. I buy on a regular basis (weekly / monthly) things like toilet roll, kitchen cleaners, washing up cloths, cat litter & tray liners, tights, A4 printer paper and craft bits, all which have worked out a lot cheaper and the same quality as supermarkets.

I don't think I've ever bought batteries though but definately have bought tools, which are still going strong. The only thing that got chucked I can remember was a dustpan and bruish set that broke pretty much straight away so I replaced it with one from Wilkinsons which was much better quality.

motorguy

bonjovi99 wrote: »

I bought a pack of AA batteries a month ago, they've leaked inside the remote control & the clock. At the same time I bought a pack of screwdriver bits for an electric screwdriver, the metal was so soft they were all worn out putting together one set of bedside cabinets. Not impressed - false economy.

I've used the batteries and had no issues with them.

Realistically you probably got 11 batteries for a pound so thats 9p each as opposed to maybe 90p each for duracells.

Again the drill bits were never going to be up to much were they?

Most stuff is fine though, though you have to be realistic with your expectations.

ILW

It would depend on how much they charge.

NAR

Always keep in mind "you get what you pay for" when using these shops. Yes there are bargains to be had, but why potentially endanger expensive equipment with cheap batteries?

jtk174

I have bought batteries and not had a problem. There are certain things that I would buy now and again, which I believe are a bargain, such as toothpaste, shampoo, paracetamol, epoxy glue ( £5 in b&q ) and paint roller c/w tray.
That said, there was a programme on TV not so long ago, about pound shops. It appears that some things are definitely not a bargain and some leading brands package things specifically for the pound shops. It turns out that the these are different weights from those sold elsewhere.

Have a read at this article by the chap who made the documentary;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9543609/How-Poundland-makes-its-millions.html

kidshorsesdogs

Buy cheap buy twice..

motorguy

kidshorsesdogs wrote: »

Buy cheap buy twice..

A bargain then?

Given they're 1/10th the price of a duracell...

GlynD

I wouldn't use the batteries. There are 100's of products I'd be happy buying from a £1 shop though.

LMac

Im fussy over batteries because parents drummed it into me, but Id normally give most things a go. Nothing I expect to last long though...

I regularly buy consumables (mostly brand names) and the overalls for decorating are good. But I tend to have mysupermarket.com up on my smartphone to check price/size vs local supermarket.

Mistral001

I buy a lot in pound shops and you definitely can get a lot of bargains but I have not many bought tools in them since the time I bought some drill bits which were made of mild steel and disintegrated the first time I used them.

It is like anything else, if it seems too good to be true it probably is. The drill bits were about one twentieth of the price you would pay for them in a hardware or tools shop.

With batteries you have to accept that they do not last as long as well-known branded ones last but are generally good value and cost much less per hour than the said brand ones. But be careful that you do not leave them in unused equipment as they will leak over time. This happens with all batteries it would appear to me. It is just that it usually happens quicker with the pound shop ones.