Value retailer Poundland mulls own brand food offer

The value retailer, which already sells own brand products across its confectionary and general merchandise offer, has focused on bolstering its food offer, adding a further 100 lines last week.

Poundland trading director Richard Lancaster told Retail Week: “Whether we go into private label is under review at this stage. Customers love the value of the offer on own brand.

“We need to find out whether it will be right for our customers.

“Aldi and Lidl have done very well in their food offer.”

Lancaster said it was too early to say what type of products would be included in the private label offer but said it might look at products such as jam, where there is no one brand dominating the line.

Lancaster added: “It’s one of a number of things we need to think about.”

Poundland has expanded the food offer after releasing wasted space in stores.

Lancaster explained that in some smaller stores there was a duplication of lines on the shelves, while in the larger stores he described the space as “flabby” because there is “not a sufficient offer to fill the space.

“Releasing space is a big opportunity for us,” he said.

Poundland isn’t the only value retailer bolstering its food offer. 99p Stores began rolling out frozen food and fresh fruit across its stores earlier this year.

Lancaster said Poundland has ruled out offering frozen food in store because customers might not be able to get the products back from the town centres before it begins to defrost.

Instead the retailer has been catering for ‘food on the go’, focusing on sandwiches and lunchtime food. In January Poundland will begin selling a range of soups and microwaveable snacks to cater for the colder weather.