It's the kind of discounted store that you head to for any cheap bargains and deals, but can you pick up a whole host of household essentials from Poundland?
With the cost of living crisis forcing many more households to think about their weekly shopping, getting in your essentials for less has become a vital lifeline for many. And as shoppers have begun making the switch to discounted retailers, such as B&M and Home Bargains for all their household items, I decided to see if the same could be said for Poundland.
The budget retail chain has become synonymous with its vast variety of items that are regularly priced at around £1 or less - though, the store has been slammed recently for selling items at higher prices.
In response, the retailer recently confirmed it would be cutting back most of their prices across thousands of items back to their iconic pound selling point. Add on the fact that the budget chain has now undergone its own transformation recently, with it branching out into clothing, fresh and frozen groceries, then it is fast becoming a competitor for many major retailers.
So, naturally, I decided to head to my own local Poundland store to see if I could get in a list of essential household items that every shopping basket needs. Heading to the newly revamped Aberdeen store, which just re-opened last week in the Trinity Centre on Union Street, I tried to get a list of 10 essentials. These included milk, bread, eggs, toilet roll, toothpaste, shower gel, coffee, pasta, cereal and laundry detergent. Here is how I got on...
I headed into my newly opened Poundland store with my shopping list, a few reusable carrier bags and a mission to get what I needed for as little as possible. Considering Aberdeen's Poundland has been closed for over a year now for refurbishment, I will admit the vast amount of stock that greeted me took me by surprise.
There were aisles and aisles jam-packed with different products, including homeware, cleaning products, bathroom essentials and brand new fridges for chilled food and drinks. Naturally, my first impression was that I wouldn't struggle to find what I needed, especially as the new store offers a lot more than it previously has.
Before I could get distracted by the amount on offer, I decided to start with the main staples on the list; milk, bread and eggs - which were luckily all in the exact same corner of the store, but I did find that 2 out of 3 items were priced at above £1.
First things first, the only loaf of bread I could get my hands on was an 800g Medium White Warburtons for £1.25. Not that I am complaining, as I like the brand, but it looks like I got there a little too late as every other option had been snapped up.
I also managed to pick up a 2L semi-skimmed bottle of Graham's milk for £1.50, which, even over a pound, is still cheaper than the £1.80 you would pay in Sainsbury's. I was able to snap up a 6 pack of free range eggs for bang on £1, which tends to be the price you would pay for non-branded eggs in major supermarkets.
The next option was to find some cupboard staples and basic items: coffee, pasta and cereal. Just a few simple items to pop into the basket and to see if the retailer was offering a lot more variety than they previously offered. Once again, I found that there were quite a few options to choose from, and this was where I managed to snap up everything for £1 or less.
As for the cereal, there were rows of different options. We are talking porridge, granola, Cornflakes, Shredded Wheats, Weetabix and a whole host of more family-friendly options. It is safe to say that you're spoiled for choice on your visit. Since the weather has chilled down, I snapped up a 10 pack of Scott's So Easy Golden Syrups Flavoured Porridge Sachets for £1. It's a considerably cheaper option than Tesco's 12 pack of the same brand for £2.25.
For my coffee option, I did notice that there were a few large jars of Kenco or Nescafe for over £1, but I decided to opt for an affordable 10 pack of Mokate Instant Gold Cappuccino's to keep the price at the pound selling point. It is worth noting that there were many other instant coffee's up for £1 as well.
Last on the cupboard essentials was, of course, a packet of pasta, which I was expecting to be fairly cheap, considering it usually is in most stores. I will admit, I was surprised by the lack of choice for their pasta, with the only options being a 400g bag of fusilli or spaghetti, both priced at 75p. I opted for the fusilli, as I tend to cook with it more, but I did find it was 10p dearer than a 500g packet I once purchased from Home Bargains.
Lastly, I decided to see what Poundland had to offer on household basics; toothpaste, laundry detergent, shower gel and toilet roll. All of which I expected to find near the same area, but it turns out I was wrong. The bathroom essentials were fairly easy to find, as they were located in the first aisle at the front of the store. In terms of toothpaste and shower gel, there were as many options as you would find in Home Bargains and B&M.
Again, all items here were priced at £1, so I was quite impressed with that. I managed to snap up 125ml tube of Aquafresh Triple Protection toothpaste which does regularly retail at anywhere between £1-£1.10. So, depending where you shop, it could be a bargain. I also did notice that there were a variety of options for anyone with sensitive teeth, and other options for maximum whitening.
I also managed to pick up a massive 500ml Carex Moisture Plus shower gel for the pound selling point, which does tend to be the price that you will find the brand for in other major retailers.
The laundry and cleaning aisle was located just on the other side of the bathroom products and, as I expected, there were lots of options for your laundry. You could choose from powder, gel, capsules and a whole host of fabric conditioners and scent boosters. Also as expected, all of these were priced at over £1, which has always been the case with Poundland.
In the end, I opted to pick up a 15 pack of Lenor All-In-One Bold Lavender and Camomile capsules for just £4, which was also one of the cheapest options on sale.
Last, but certainly not least, I headed to find some toilet roll, which was, surprisingly, the most difficult thing on the list to find. It took me a few trips around the store to realise that their bathroom essential was not being sold as part of their cleaning or bathroom aisles. Instead, I found that they were stocking them down at the front of the store and there was only one option available, a 4 pack of Quantum Quilts Toilet Tissue for £1.75.
After checking my list, and realising that I had managed to snap up all 10 items that were there, I headed with my basket to the checkout feeling a little sense of accomplishment of being able to get everything that I needed.
Overall verdict
After pricing up and bagging my items with the assistance of a helpful cashier, my entire shopping list of 10 essential items came to, surprisingly not £10, but £14.25. I know, with a title such as Poundland, you'd expect it to be a little bit cheaper, but I have to admit that I was surprised by a variety of factors.
First up, since my Aberdeen store is newly refurbished, I was surprised by the vast majority that the retailer now offers customers at lower prices. Gone are the days when Poundland was associated with a few deals that you needed at last minute, as you can now grab a full basket of essentials without needing to make the trip to the supermarket that could potentially be pricier.
At the end of the day, I managed to get every single item I needed and there was a mix of items being priced at around £1 and that bit more, with the main pricier culprits being the larger products, such as toilet roll, laundry detergent and bread. I will say that there were £1 options for bread, but I was unfortunately too late to snap them up.
For everything to be under £15, particularly for a range of basic items, I have to give credit to Poundland for expanding their variety to help out families and households who might be struggling with the current cost of living crisis.
My full Poundland shop
- Warburtons Medium White Bread, 800g - £1.25
- Carex Moisture Plus Shower Gel, 500ml - £1
- Grahams Semi-Skimmed Milk, 2L - £1.50
- Pennine Free Range Eggs, 6 Pack - £1
- Scott's So Easy Golden Syrup Flavoured Porridge Oats, 10pk - £1
- Triple Protection Aquafresh Toothpaste, 125ml - £1
- Imperial Fussili Pasta, 400g - 75p
- Mokate Instant Cappucino, unsweetened, 10pk - £1
- Quantum Quilts Toilet Roll, 4pk - £1.75
- Lenor All-In-One Bold Lavender and Camomile Capsules, 15pk - £4
Total: £14.25
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
