Poundland to open 75 stores in final quarter

Poundland has set out plans to open or relocate 75 stores in the final quarter of the year, marking its biggest three-month expansion strategy. The discount retailer’s parent Pepco agreed a deal to take control of up to 71 Wilko store leases last month, after Wilko fell into administration.  However, it has so far been unable to secure agreements on 15 of those for “a variety of reasons”. Those have ranged from the owner of the property being in administration to “adverse structural findings”. So far, 37 former Wilko stores are trading as Poundland. This will expand to 56 by 4 November. The retailer has made offers of employment to more than 500 former Wilko employees to date. New locations include 19 former Wilko stores that will reopen over the next fortnight, and a relocation into part of the former John Lewis department store in Watford. The former Wilko stores slated to open this quarter include a location at Birmingham Fort and six former M&Co units (Portishead, Crewkerne, Midsomer Norton, Faversham, Newport and Wells). 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 are working at this pace because we are on a mission – ambitious to grow, create jobs and serve new communities by opening shops customers and communities can be proud of.” Since opening its first store in Burton-upon-Trent in 1990, Poundland, has built a network of more than 800 stores in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Pepco Group operates more than 4,300 stores in 21 territories including the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Spain and across the CEE region. This month the discount retailer has opened new stores at Forge Retail Park in Telford and Stafford’s Queens Retail Park. It plans additional openings and relocations in the following locations: November 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 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, 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, Fort Shopping Park, 20 Fort Parkway, Birmingham, B24 9FP 59 The Broadway, Plymstock, Plymouth, PL9 7AX (relocation). The opening timetable for the former Wilko stores is as follows: 28 October 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 4 November 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. To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@eg.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @EGPropertyNews Image © Poundland