Poundland's market-leading' deal taken off shelves 'for next month'

Under-pressure chain also confirmed that another store will shut down in September, after a wave of locations closed their doors back in August

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Poundland's popular £3 meal deal has been axed from the menu until at least October as the discount retailer makes fresh supply arrangements and overhauls stores in a major restructure.

The budget chain's restructuring scheme, which secured High Court backing in August, involves shutting its chilled and frozen warehouse in Darton, South Yorkshire, this year, with all refrigerated distribution moving to its Harlow facility.

Poundland revealed in June when announcing the proposals that the chilled selection would be reduced, but insisted the trimmed offering would be "anchored around its market-leading £3 meal deal and other essentials such as milk". Yet sandwiches and other fundamental chilled products have been absent from store shelves for over a week.

"We've got no fresh deliveries until October," a Poundland shop assistant r evealed to The Grocer. "When the meal deal will be coming back I don't know."

Poundland has also confirmed that another one of its stores will shut its doors in September, following a series of closures in August. The discount retailer, which currently operates 800 stores across the country, aims to reduce this number to between 650 and 700.

Poundland's meal deal ranges were provided by producers Greencore and Middlesbrough-based On a Roll Sandwich Company.

A Poundland spokesperson confirmed supplier arrangements were "still being worked through" after the restructuring plan received approval.

Frozen goods, which Poundland introduced after buying Fulton's Foods in 2020, are being scrapped entirely in the shake-up.

The spokesperson explained stores were presently in "a transition phase as we remove freezers and some chiller cabinets".

"We're aiming to complete that programme by the beginning of October, allowing us to then fully roll out our revised grocery ranges focused around £1, £2 and £3 only,"And it's only £3," he added. Poundland's meal deal, which includes a main, snack and drink for just £3, undercuts Tesco's Clubcard Price meal deal by 85p. For those without a Clubcard, Poundland's deal is still £1.25 cheaper than Tesco's. To celebrate the introduction of new lines last year, Poundland placed a 'blue plaque' on 20 of its top-performing lunchtime stores, proudly declaring it as the "home of the high street's best-value meal deal".

In addition to its Harlow facility, the restructure leaves Poundland with a warehouse in Wigan, but this does not provide chilled distribution for the retailer.

The restructuring plan also involved the closure of 68 stores, while online sales and Poundland's Perks loyalty app will be discontinued from 16 September.

Another distribution centre, located at Springvale in Bilston, Wolverhampton, is set to close next year. Investment firm Gordon Brothers, which purchased Poundland from Pepco Group for £1 in June, has agreed to invest £90m to revitalise the discount chain.

As reported by The Grocer last month, Poundland's recovery plan involves returning to pound shop basics, with the grocery range reduced by about half and priced at £1, £2 or £3.

On September 14, Poundland will close its Irvine, Scotland, store, bringing the total number of closures in 2025 to 52.

Stores that have already closed include locations in Ammanford, Wales; Bedford, Bedfordshire; Bedston Moss, Merseyside; Birmingham Fort Shopping Park, West Midlands; Blackburn, Lancashire; Brigg, North Lincolnshire; Broxburn, Scotland; Canterbury, Kent; Cardiff, Wales; Chiswick, Greater London; Cookstown, Northern Ireland; Cramlington, Northumberland; Craigavon, Northern Ireland; Coventry Hertford Street, West Midlands; Dartmouth, Devon; East Dulwich, Greater London, reports Birmingham Live.

Full list of stores closing

• Erdington, West Midlands.
• Falmouth, Cornwall.
• Horsham, West Sussex.
• Hull Kingston retail park, East Yorkshire.
• Hull St Andrew retail park, East Yorkshire.
• Kettering, Northamptonshire.
• Kimberley Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.
• Kings Heath, West Midlands.
• Leicester, Leicestershire.
• Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire.
• Newcastle Killingworth Centre, Tyne and Wear.
• Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.
• Omagh, Northern Ireland.
• Peterborough Orton Gate shopping centre, Cambridgeshire.
• Peterlee, County Durham.
• Perth, Scotland.
• Poole, Dorset.
• Port Glasgow, Scotland.
• Rainham, Kent.
• Salford, Greater Manchester.
• Seaham, County Durham.
• Sheldon, West Midlands.
• Shepherd's Bush, Greater London.
• Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
• Southampton West Quay, Hampshire.
• Southport, Merseyside.
• Stafford, Staffordshire.
• Sunderland Pallion retail park, Tyne and Wear.
• Swiss Cottage, Greater London.
• Taunton, Somerset.
• Thornaby, North Yorkshire.
• Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
• Wells, Somerset.
• Whitechapel, Greater London.
• Worcester, Worcestershire.