THE POUND SHOPS SWIZZ

They’re the bargain basement stores. But as we show, you can buy the same goods cheaper elsewhere

WITH an epic battle for bargains waging on Britain’s High Streets, there’s one type of shop you might assume would always come out on top as being cheaper for everything — the pound shop.

After all, it’s hard to argue with the premise that everything it sells — from cosmetics to food — will never cost more than that.

Indeed, in the void left by the closure of Woolworths seven years ago, chains such as Poundland and Poundworld have taken over our town centres. According to retail researchers, The Local Data Company, more than 1,000 pound stores have sprung up since Woolworths’ demise.

And some of their most enthusiastic fans are the middle classes. The majority of Poundland’s shoppers fall into what retailers term the A, B and C1 social categories — the so-called white-collar management and professional classes.

But it would seem even the wellheeled and educated aren’t immune to having the wool pulled over their eyes at times.

Pound shops are able to sell products for less because they buy a narrower range of nonperishable products in huge amounts. They also save money because their simpler pricing reduces staff costs.

Yet, despite the alluring premise of these shops, you can’t assume you are getting everything they sell at the cheapest prices. And what’s more, those friendly rounded-up price tags can easily tempt you to overfill your basket, leaving you out of pocket. Martin Lewis, founder of

moneysavingexpert.com, told the Mail: ‘It’s very easy and good psychology. In a pound shop, you feel that you know how much your shopping is going to cost. If you’ve got six items in your basket, then it will cost £6. So you feel in control.’

However, because the premise is that everything costs a pound, as well as bargains, there will be some products that will be more expensive, he warns. ‘Some staple items that you may be buying for £1 in a pound store, you might be able to get for just 89p or 79p at a supermarket.’

Prices are constantly shifting as the supermarkets compete for our money.

A Daily Mail survey of 15 everyday household items — ranging from baby wipes to nail varnish and Cadbury Fingers chocolate biscuits — uncovered savings of up to 50 per cent by buying them in other retailers.

But despite the seductive promise, Martin Lewis says shoppers should also be alert to the fact that some products come in smaller sizes in the pound shops than in other retailers.

‘The leading pound stores often have their own special sized packets. So it isn’t as simple as saying: “That product looks the same as the one I buy elsewhere, but it’s 50p cheaper.”

‘You might find that it’s a third smaller. You’ve got to look at the weight as well.’

However, Poundland insists independent research shows it offers better value on ‘the vast majority’ of products.

It says it carries out price surveys every two weeks comparing itself against the supermarkets and is ‘significantly cheaper’ on 1,000 branded products.

Below are items we found in pound shops that were cheaper in supermarkets and online. All prices were correct at time of research.