Poundland’s £3 meal deal – hailed as the UK’s best value option – has been spotted off the supermarket’s shelves as bosses say it will not be back until at least October. The measure is necessary due to supply arrangement changes and a restructure of stores. This includes the closure of the firm’s chilled and frozen depot in Darton, South Yorkshire, and transferring all chilled distribution to its warehouse in Harlow.
It comes after Poundland announced in June that its chilled range would be reduced, with a new offer “anchored around its market-leading £3 meal deal and other essentials such as milk”. Now, sandwiches and other chilled items have not been seen on shelves for more than seven days. Poundland’s meal deal is the cheapest in the country, as Tesco’s standard offer is £3.85 for Clubcard members and £4.25 for non-members. Sainsbury’s and Co-op offer theirs for around £3.95 and £3.50 respectively.
The Co-op offers a further discount for members.
“We’ve got no fresh deliveries until October,” a Poundland store worker told the Grocer.
“When the meal deal will be coming back I don’t know.”
A Poundland spokesman told the outlet that supplier details were “still being worked through”, and stores are in “a transition phase” as staff remove freezers and some chiller cabinets.
The retailer added: “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.”
Express reporter Adam Toms recently reviewed Poundland’s meal deal, and struggled to scan the outlet’s aisles in Whitechapel at 1.30pm for main options, which were nowhere to be found.
After a 35-minute journey to another Poundland in Bow, he was “concerned to once again see vacant fridge shelves where the mains usually sit”.
Luckily, some sausage rolls and ham and cheese slices remained, so he grabbed one of the former.
He was expecting to be charged £3, but even this proved to be an overestimation, as only £2.75 was taken.
Adam wrote: “If you are finding your bank account draining a little more quickly than would be comfortable, perhaps it is something to consider.
“Although, my experience suggests that you would have to take an early lunch break in order to bag a main course.”
