The Great 'shrinking food and other items' Hunt

TravellingAbuela

Another Poundland v Aldi price comparison. They used to sell packs of 3 small tins of Carnation Milk for £1. Today I noticed the pack has shrunk to 2 tins. I can get a large tin of Aldi's own brand containing a similar weight for just over half £land price. I agree MAMAN that their glory years may soon be over.

Cornucopia

Poundland vs. Iceland: Gullon Sugar-free Digestive Biscuits used to be 400g packs for £1 everywhere where they were sold. Now Poundland has 250g packs - smaller biscuits, and fewer of them.

Everyone else though is still sticking with 400g for £1. And Sainsburys has now started stocking a competitor at the same price.

VfM4meplse

maman wrote: »

I can't see them lasting too long myself if their cost per kg etc. goes up near Aldi/Lidl prices they won't compete on quality.

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

I agree MAMAN that their glory years may soon be over.

Cornucopia wrote: »

Now Poundland has 250g packs - smaller biscuits, and fewer of them.

Everyone else though is still sticking with 400g for £1.

The problem is that Poundland will squeeze all the other pound chains out of the market before it gives up. Leaving other large retailers free to charge what they like!

Cornucopia

I think that the Poundshop model is basically sound, but Poundland has over-stretched itself, just like Poundworld (and Maplin did the same thing).

Many towns now have two or more Poundlands, and I doubt that it is sustainable.

They don't get it all their own way. I went into our shiny new Home Bargains today, and they have the 250g packs of the biscuits above for 89p.

VfM4meplse

Cornucopia wrote: »

I think that the Poundshop model is basically sound, but Poundland has over-stretched itself, just like Poundworld (and Maplin did the same thing).

Many towns now have two or more Poundlands, and I doubt that it is sustainable.

That was the whole point, buy 99p stores and cannabilise the main competition before removing duplicate stores.

Cornucopia

VfM4meplse wrote: »

That was the whole point, buy 99p stores and cannabilise the main competition before removing duplicate stores.

Having bought 99p Stores (which I think was a dubious decision) they are now damned if they close stores and damned if they don't close them. I suspect that the instances of poorer value we are seeing are the consequence of them being stuck with that dilemma.

maman

Cornucopia wrote: »

Having bought 99p Stores (which I think was a dubious decision) they are now damned if they close stores and damned if they don't close them. I suspect that the instances of poorer value we are seeing are the consequence of them being stuck with that dilemma.

I agree although I still think there's an issue with trying to source goods that can sell for £.


Maybe they'll reinvent themselves into even more of a Home Bargains/B&M type store but, because of the name, it'll take a long time for customers to think that things costing more than £ are good value for money.

MrsStepford

We've got Poundland, Poundstretcher, Home Bargains and B&M. Stuff on websites bears no resemblance to what you can actually buy in store. There are bargains but it's more a case of go in there regularly and trawl.

Pollycat

Cornucopia wrote: »

I think that the Poundshop model is basically sound, but Poundland has over-stretched itself, just like Poundworld (and Maplin did the same thing).

Many towns now have two or more Poundlands, and I doubt that it is sustainable.

They don't get it all their own way. I went into our shiny new Home Bargains today, and they have the 250g packs of the biscuits above for 89p.

I bought some mosquito wipes from Poundworld (before they went bust) for £1 per pack.


Savers sell the identical item for 89p.

Cornucopia

maman wrote: »

I agree although I still think there's an issue with trying to source goods that can sell for £.

I'm not sure. From a UK perspective, yes, inevitably there has to be a limit on selling items for £1. However, look a bit further afield, and £1 starts to look like a fairly arbitrary price-point.

For example, in the US there are well-established Dollar-stores, and if we had the equivalent 75p-Stores here, I'm sure they would do very well. Part of that is a lower food retail cost over there, but they also sell a wide variety of non-food items, too.

https://www.dollartree.com/