It’s all about pound shops. A fly-on-the-wall series on BBC One gives viewers some insight to how they work, and now THREE online pound shops have launched (though as I write this one has crashed due to the demand!).
I’ve never really had a local pound shop, so it’s been difficult to tell if they really are offering bargains, or even full of anything I’d want to buy.
But the online stores make it much easier to compare like for like. I’ve taken seven everyday products to see which is better – Poundshop or Supermarket!
1. Toothpaste
Colgate’s Advanced Whitening Toothpaste – 100ml
Poundshop.com – £1
HereForAPound.com – £1
Tesco – £2.69
Sainsburys – Two for £4
Boots – £2.69
Superdrug – £2.69
Straight away a big winner for the pound shops!
Winner: Poundshops
2. Ketchup
Heinz Tomato Ketchup Squeezy – 342g
Poundshop.com – £1
HereForAPound.com – N/A
Tesco – £1.20
Sainsburys – £1.30
Again, cheaper but not by much, and only available in one online store.
Winner: Poundshops
3. Crisps
Hula Hoop Salt and Vinegar – 7x25g
Poundshop.com – N/A
HereForAPound.com – £1
Tesco – £1.75
Sainsburys – £1.75
Not a bad deal at all – 20p per bag. Keep an eye on multipacks as pound shops sometimes have less in a pack than you’d expect at the supermarket.
Winner: Poundshops
4. Washing Up
Fairy Liquid – different sizes
Poundshop.com – £1 for 500ml
HereForAPound.com – £1 for 500ml
Tesco – £1.25 for 433ml
Sainsburys – £1.25 for 433ml
This is a tricky one to compare as the pound shops have their own size, branding and varieties. Without actually comparing them in use I don’t know if the pound shop products are inferior or are less concentrated…
Winner: Tie
5. Paper Plates
Basic range – 23cm
Poundshop.com – £1 for 30
HereForAPound.com – N/A
Tesco – £1.25 for 50
Sainsburys – £1.30 for 50
Surprisingly the supermarkets come out on top. Though if you don’t need 50 plates, it might not be worth paying the extra (50 is a lot of plates)
Winner: Supermarkets
6. Pain Killers
Nurofen tablets – different sizes
Poundshop.com – £1 for 8
HereForAPound.com – N/A
Tesco – £1.60 for 12
Sainsburys – £1.90 for 12
Boots – £2.10 for 16
Ah, the pack that looks the same but is actually less! The poundshop.com one still works out cheaper than Tesco & Boots, but only by 10p. Unbranded ones work out cheaper in the supermarkets and pharmacy chains.
Winner: Poundshops
7. Shampoo
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo – different sizes
Poundshop.com – N/A
HereForAPound.com – £1 for 200ml
Tesco – £2.10 for 300ml
Sainsburys – £1.50 for 300ml
ASDA – £1.25 for 300ml
Boots – Three x 300ml for £4.10
A different size makes it look cheaper, but you’re probably better off buying it elsewhere.
Winner: Supermarkets
And The Winner Is…
So overall it seems pound shops can really deliver good value, BUT:
– Stock changes quite often it’ll be down to luck what you actually pick up
– The range online was pretty limited. You’ll have more options in store.
– Check the sizes of packs to see if you’re getting less than you expect at first glance.
– Online there are delivery charges which cancel out the savings
– I’ve questions over the quality of products when packaging changes. Are they really the same?
My thoughts – it’s well worth checking out physical stores if you happen to be passing, but unless you are ordering loads of toothpaste, I’m not sure the online sites are worth it… yet.