With the first quarter of its new FY27 financial year underway, Poundland today confirmed its forecast for Q4 FY26 issued last month.
As projected, the business returned to like-for-like growth, re-establishing the recovery that has seen it return to viability and profitability.
For the full quarter to 27 September 2026, Poundland achieved positive like-for-like sales growth on both an unadjusted and adjusted basis which takes account of the restructure programme that led to the removal of some categories such as frozen food.
Its unadjusted Q4 like-for-like growth has been confirmed as 3.3 per cent and 6.4 per cent on an adjusted basis. It now expects profitability at the upper end of its expectations.
And Poundland also confirmed an acceleration in its positive trajectory over recent weeks.
Unadjusted like-for-like sales grew by 6.7 per cent in September 2026 and 9.8 per cent in the first week of the current quarter.
With its restructure complete, Poundland will return to reporting unadjusted like-for-like numbers in future.
Poundland also today revealed it had begun a new pilot in selected stores to expand the availability of general merchandise and clothing ranges for customers.
The trial, which began rolling out in mid-September, is now live in 15 stores in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The pilot improves store layouts organising them around customer needs and occasions, not simply traditional retail departments.
Poundland is also testing customer appetite for an edited range of its PEP&CO clothing in these smaller pilot stores where historically, space has been limited.
The initial results are very encouraging.
Last week saw all fifteen trial stores grow their like-for-like sales and profitability ahead of other stores in the chain.
The pilot runs alongside the root and branch range re-invention across its store estate over the past 12 months.
This has seen the launch of an all-new general merchandise offer, the return to simple prices in its grocery aisles, and in clothing, the completion of the transition back to its PEP&CO brand.
Poundland managing director Barry Williams said: “We ended Q4 with significant momentum, returning to positive like-for-like growth and that momentum has only strengthened in the first week of the new financial year.
“Our recovery plan is working, thanks to our investment in simple low pricing and new ranges, powered by our new in-house teams.
“That positive customer reaction is great news for our shareholders, colleagues and suppliers.
“And while our new merchandising pilot is a demonstration that it’s ‘business as usual’ at Poundland, what’s unusual is our new trial also highlights the top-to-bottom refresh of all our ranges over the last 12 months.
“We’re excited about putting those new items in front of our customers as they return to our stores.”
