One hundred pennies gets you... six rolls of sellotape, or a Chuckle Brothers DVD... (Poundland)

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Poundland
Date:	24/09/09 (150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some real bargains to be found

Disadvantages: Too many people! Lots of junk

In the shells of old Woolworth stores throughout the country, scores of 'Poundland' shops have sprung up, and although the Poundland franchise has been around since 1990, the business seems to have taken advantage of its latest opportunity to jump right into the midst of the UK highstreet. As its name suggests, Poundland sells a range of items for just one pound - from clothes to food, toys to toiletries, it has it all.

On my first Poundland visit I was fairly impressed - and I bagged a few bargains along the way. I came out of the shop with 12 AA batteries, some Cadbury's drinking chocolate, and - twelve (yes twelve) tubes of superglue, all for a total price of £3! - now that's good value.

Although most of the items sold in Poundland are made by major brands, the packaging occasionally looks different to how it normally does, due to the shop frequently selling foreign versions of products - I suppose this is one of the ways in which Poundland can sell items so cheaply.

Due to the low price of items in Poundland, combined with the fact that we are in the midst of a recession, the shop is often very busy. The crowded isles mean that there is frequently a long queue snaking back from the tills, sometimes stretching to the door. That said, the queues do disperse fairly quickly, and the staff (at least in the shop I was in) zap the items through the checkouts at quite a speed.

In my personal experience of the Poundland customer service, I have had no real issues, although I have heard reports that due to the sheer amount of people in the shop, the staff can occasionally be a bit grumpy and stressed out - but like I say, this isn't something I've come across myself.

The look of the shop is generally tidy and well organised, although my local store has fairly narrow isles - which, when combined with the amount of people that are shopping, makes for a bit of a tight squeeze at times.

If you're after a bargain, it's well worth looking in your local Poundland to see what they have in store - yes, there are loads of tacky and useless items scattered amongst the shelves, but, there are also some great bargains all for that one golden coin - give it a try.

Summary: The ultimate £ shop