Poundland in 1,000 jobs bonanza

Thursday 1st January 2009, 11:35AM GMT.

poundlandAround 1,000 new jobs are on their way to the UK’s ailing high street in 2009 thanks to Black Country success story, Poundland.

The pound-for-everything chain is set to expand next year despite the struggles of other retail companies caught in the credit crunch.

More and more shoppers are switching to budget-priced stores in what has been dubbed the “Aldi effect”, meaning booming trade and growth for chains offering low prices.

Tim McDonnell, retail operations director at Poundland, said today: “We are looking to expand in 2009 and hope that will mean a further 1,000 jobs at Poundland.

Since it was founded in the Black Country 18 years ago Poundland has grown to employ around 6,000 people; 400 at its head office on Wellman Road in Willenhall and distribution warehouse in Bilston and the rest at its 200 stores around the UK


  1. 1
    Ray

    Don’t order too many of those neon shop signs, guys. The way Mandelson is scheming, you may soon have to scrap ‘em all and replace them ones reading ‘Euroland’ instead!

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  2. 2
    Karen

    A shop, a service, but not manufacturing.

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  3. 3
    Anon

    Yes good news for Poundland, I have nothing against the company. But is it enough?

    Where is Britain’s industry..why aren’t we breeding champions of industry and future technologies, arts and culture instead of sheeple forced into poverty? Maybe if we set our aspirations a little higher we would not have such an incompetent leadership telling us our economic downturn is due to global factors, which I do not believe is the case. We can’t buy our way out of debt or by shopping at Poundland.

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  4. 4
    frankthegas

    Who is going to win the race,Poundland or 99store

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  5. 5
    John

    No doubt all these “jobs” will only be at the minimum wage?

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  6. 6
    David Brown

    I have for a long time wondered what our manufacturing industry would be replaced with.

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  7. 7
    fed up

    Well said Ray, I am convinced that the new coinage, which does not have any numbers on, is a gentle way to convert to the Euro, sometimes I wonder where the government keep their brains, do they really think we are all so stupid.
    As for Poundland it has killed off so many towns, unfortunately all you can shop in are ‘Pound’ shops or charity shops in a lot of towns now, West Bromwich being one of them, It has also killed my love of crafts as everyone now expects everything for a ‘Pound’ not realising how much material costs and the hours put into the finished article, I never expected a profit just enough to be able to make the items and sell at crafts stalls, sadly I have now lost the desire to make items for resale can’t afford to give items away. I know there is a credit crunch but I choose to buy items made in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland, not from abroad in a sweat shop of inferior quality, always said An Ehglishman Worst Enemy was a Shopkeeper, even Woolworths could not make it to 100 years…… Keep UK and forget the Euro, no chance we will soon be there before you realise it.

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  8. 8
    Miss Opinion

    well the way the pound is going may not be such a bad idea

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  9. 9
    Mr opportunity

    It is good news about the jobs and although no doubt they will be minimum wage, i still say minimum wage is better than living off benefits and that you still have the feeling you get from working.

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  10. 10
    Robert

    It’s funny how some posters are lamenting the loss of UK industry, and then others are lamenting the loss of the pound – UK manufacturing is taking a battering partly because of the low strength of the pound against the Euro: ditching the pound and joining the Euro would benefit UK manufacturing enormously.

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  11. 11
    chrisc

    Comment 10 we will never benefit from being in the EU unless it benefits our Government. Our government currently bends every rule that we should have enforced on us from the EU to our benefit, simply because they would be financialy out of pocket. If you want to know what then ask your self why people go accross the channel for cheap alcohol, fags and also cheaper fuel.

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  12. 12
    giza

    keep our £ and our lb forever dont follow
    the sheep in the EU . GREAT IS BRITAIN.

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