Take a walk through Poundland’s first £1million store – where some bargains are still a quid
This is what Poundland’s first ever £1million store looks like.
Bosses at the bargain chain have splashed out a fortune on the shop in Elgin, Moray.
It’s the first building they have ever bought anywhere in the UK.
And they were determined to make it special for their loyal customers.
One shopper said: “The place is amazing. You can see a lot of hard work, and love and attention has gone into the shop.
“And there is even stuff for a pound. There’s a fair bit of stuff on the shelves that’s a quid, which in 2024 is pretty good going.”
Poundland execs were forced to take action when they discovered water had been pouring into the upper floors of the block for years.
After a quibble with the landlord they refused to walk away and spent six years restoring the site.
They demolished and rebuilt the entire block from scratch, at a cost of more than £1million. They even built flats upstairs.
The new store is huge inside and even has its own clothing section.
There’s also fresh and frozen food, toys and at the moment the shelves are lined with a host of festive treats.
Some selection boxes are £1 as well as packs of white and milk chocolate truffles.
Big packs of crisps and some batteries can also be snapped up for a quid along with candy canes and shortbread teddies.
But a Christmas jumper will set you back £12 while kid’s character pyjamas cost £6.
Every inch of space has been maximised and filled with goodies.
Manager Gerry McAloon said: “People keep asking me if we’ve had the shop extended.
“They are convinced that it’s much bigger than it was before we closed.
“But it’s exactly the same size, we are just using all the space in a different way now.”
As part of the rebuild Poundland built flats above the shop, which have now hit the market.
They’re filled with products from the store but are going for a lot more than a quid. The cheapest one is on sale for offers over £85,000.
Gerry has been in charge of the shop since 1993, back when it was a Woolworth’s.
He’s been at the helm through the turbulent past few years and is delighted the doors are open again.
He said: “It feels like we’ve come home. All the staff are delighted and I hope our customers are too.”