WHEN it comes to making shopping simple, Poundland has got it made.

WHEN it comes to making shopping simple, Poundland has got it made.

The shelves are chock-full of random, yet useful, products - from toiletries and cleaning products to sweets, fizzy drinks, toys, pet food and clothes. Some of the brands are unknown, but in a clever move forward for the discount store, these days many are the same as you would find in the supermarket.

There's only one difference, of course: everything costs the same. Four cans of a well-known cola? £1. Popular shampoo? £1. Brand name shower gel that will cost you £1.89 in Boots? You've guessed it - £1.

And it seems the British public are fans, as the group that owns the chain announced like-for-like sales up 3.9% over the five weeks to January 4. Total sales, including new stores, jumped 24.3% year-on-year. The firm plans to open 30 new stores, creating 1000 jobs.

It seems consumers are more than willing to seek out cheaper options in these tough times. At Poundland's Union Street store, in Glasgow, shoppers were filling their baskets with bargain after bargain.

Pensioners Molly Cassells, Sheila MacDonald and Mary Young are on fixed incomes, so they appreciate the straightforward pricing policy - and the range of goods on offer.

"The prices really are great," said Ms Cassells, 70, from Balornock. "It's the brands that draw me in. Shops like this never used to have the big names, but now that they do I've no problem coming in."