Watch it Topman – Poundland’s rocked up

Poundland predicts it will become a bigger fashion firm than River Island and Topman.

The bold boast came as the discount chain announced plans to more than double the number of Pep&Co clothing departments in stores over the next year.

Pep&Co’s prices start at £1 and 95% of the range is under a tenner.

It wants to more than double the number of Pep&Co shop-in-shops in Poundland branches to 270 over the next 12 months, and open 30 in the Republic of Ireland and a few in France.

The firm reckons that, if sales grow as expected, it will be ranked within the UK’s top 15 clothing retailers by volume.

Poundland UK and Ireland boss, Barry Williams, said stores where Pep&Co clothes opened saw sales jump 10%.

Poundland and Pep&Co are both owned by Pepkor Europe, which recently announced £180million of new funding after a crisis at South African parent company Steinhoff.