List of discount shops in the United Kingdom

This is a list of the current and defunct discount chains of the United Kingdom. This list does not include discount supermarket chains which can be found at list of supermarket chains in the United Kingdom.

List of current discount shops

Discount shop	Image	Founded / Expanded to UK	Owned by	Number of shops	Notes
B & M		1978	B&M European Value Retail S.A.	500+
Shop Direct Group				010	Discounter of surplus stock from within the Shop Direct family of companies
Boyes		1881		053	Discounter based in the North East, Yorkshire and East Midlands
The Factory Shops		c.1980s	The Factory Shops Essex Ltd	005	Family run Essex-based discount shop[1]
Goodwins		c. 2010s	Yorkshire Trading Company	004	North East and Yorkshire based multi price discount retailer that originally started life as a pound shop
HEMA		2014	Lion Capital LLP	003	London-centric Dutch discount shop that started in Amsterdam in 1926[2]
Home Bargains		1976	TJ Morris	380
In-Excess UK				004	Disconter based in Hampshire and Dorset
Max 99p		2013		004	Family owned chain of discount shops located in Peterborough, Chelmsford, Pontypridd and Woolston
The Original Factory Shop		1969	Duke Street Capital	200-	[3]
Poundland		1991	Steinhoff	450+	Largest single price discounter in the UK
Poundstretcher		1981	Crown Crest Group	400
Proper Job		1997	Tilley Family	10	Father and son Ray and Peter Tilley started Tilley's Tools in Cornwall, before running it as a wholesale business from Weston Super Mare. Proper Job was started in 1997 is based in Somerset.[4][5]
Quality Save		1974	Richard Rudkin & Paul Rudkin	021	Business started as a market stall in Walkden, north-based discount chain
QD stores			QD Commercial Group Holdings[6]	025	Discount group based mainly in East of England & the Home Counties
Savers Health & Beauty		1988	A.S. Watson Group	410	Discount branded health, home and beauty.
Store Twenty One		2007	Grabal Alok	200	Discount clothing and homewares, created from the ashes of QS Stores and Bewise
The Range		1989	Chris Dawson	148	Discount home and hardware originally called CDS Superstores
The Spotty Bag Shop		2007	Des Cheyne	001	Visitor attraction in Banff, Aberdeenshire and one of the largest independent retailers in the UK.
Thing - Me - Bobs			QD Commercial Group Holdings[6]	011	Brand name for smaller QD shops
This Is It Famous Value Shops				006	Chain of discount shops located in Devon, Dorset and Somerset[7]
Tiger		2005	Zebra A/S	046	Danish discount shop based primarily in the South East
Trade Counters		c.1990s		002	South Essex based home and hardware discount shop with at one time five shops
Trago Mills		Early 1960s		003	South West based discount department stores
Value House Shops				003	South West based Home & Garden discounter, owned by the Ford Family of Ford & Lock / Brian Ford Discount Superstore fame.[8]

List of defunct discount shops

Discount shop	Image	Founded / Came to UK	Closed / Brand discontinued	Owned by	Number of shops	Notes
99p Stores		2001	2016	Lalani family	259	99p Stores purchased by Poundland in 2015 rebranded as Poundland
Alworths		2009	2011		18	Rebranded from Woolworths, entered administration in 2011
Bargain Buys		2013	TPG		50	New brand launched by Poundworld founder Chris Edwards to replace former DiscountUK brand
Bargain Crazy
Basildon Stores			2012		5	Discount home, garden and hardware chain based in South Essex, closed due to retirement
Bewise			2006	Hamsard 2353	200	Discount homeware and clothing retailer, went into administration 2006, some shops were purchased by new chain Store Twenty One[9]
The Big Label			2009		5	Formerly QS Discount, owned by QS Stores; owned five shops in Blackburn, Sale, Atherton, Warrington and Chorley
CDS Superstores		1989		Chris Dawson		Discount chain rebranded as The Range
DiscountUK		2011	2013	Chris Edwards and Chris Edwards Junior	41	Re-branded as Bargain Buys
Family Bargains		2010	2016	Poundland		A sister brand of the 99p shop, which were rebranded as Poundland Plus after 99p Stores purchase.
Glyn Webb			2006		22	Former discount DIY chain[10]
House of Holland			c.1980s			South of England-based discount department store went into administration late 80s[11]
Hypervalue		1980	2009	Hilco		Discount chain mainly located in South Wales, but had shops as afar as Southampton, bought by Hilco in 2006 before going into administration
...instore		2002	2007	instore plc		...instore was a new corporate name that failed for £-stretcher business - name reverted to Poundstretcher
One Up		1993			16	Clothing & Home discounter created by Storehouse plc, sold off in 1995 for £20m[12][13][14]
Parker Franks				Owned by Philip Green		North west based discounter of homewares and clothing, changed its name to Xception[13][15]
Poundworld		1974	TPG	>300	Business started as market stall in Wakefield; branded Poundworld since 2004, also trades as Poundworld Extra and Poundworld Plus
QS Stores		1932	2006	Hamsard 2353	143	QS started life as a clothing manufacturer. In 1960s they opened their first shop selling clothing rejected by main buyer Marks & Spencer. In 1980s the shop stopped selling seconds and went private in 1990. Was purchased by Hamsard 2353 in 2003 who brought it together with fellow purchase Bewise. Business went into administration in 2006. Some shops became part of Store Twenty One.[16]
Waremart			2009			Chain of discounters based in Yorkshire and North East in former Woolworths shops
What Everyone Wants		1990	2003	Tradegro	130	Formerly What Every Woman Wants, a Scottish chain of discount shops that became UK national in 1990 after its purchase by Brown & Jackson, owners of £-Stretcher. Sold to Tradegro in November 2002 before going into administration a month later. Locations were bought by Poundstretcher and Bewise
Woolworths		1909	2009	Woolworths Group plc	807	Company went into administration, name lives on as a web based retailer owned by Shop Direct Group
Xception				Philip Green		New name for North West-based Parker Franks, a discounter selling a variety of clothes and homewares[13][15]
Your Home Stores						Greater Manchester based discounter of homewares[15]
Your More Store		1991	2004	Tradegro	199	Set up Pepkor in 1991, the stores were based in Scotland and the North East of England. Bought by Brown & Jackson, owners of £-stretcher in 1997, before being sold to Tradegro in 2003 while in administration.[17]

References