Poundworld staff to be given free sandwiches as store closures loom

The budget retailer fell into administration on June 11, putting around 5,100 jobs at risk.

Poundworld has stores on Gosport’s High Street, in London Road, Portsmouth, and in the Meridian Centre in Havant

Administrators at Deloitte have so far failed to find a buyer for the business, although they are in talks with Poundworld founder Chris Edwards about selling a proportion of the retailer’s stores.

To cheer up employees, Deloitte told store managers in a note on Thursday that they should buy their staff lunch, sources told the Press Association.

They said every store could spend £50 on lunch, at an estimated cost of £16,750 to the business

Staff are fearing for their jobs because there has been no news of a buyer for the business, sources said.

It is widely expected that around 150 stores will close even if Mr Edwards strikes a rescue deal.

It is thought that Mr Edwards would save the outlets located on high streets in town centres, but would not pick up Poundworld’s out-of-town stores.

The administrators have already made 100 people redundant at retailer’s head office in Normanton, Yorkshire.

Deloitte has said the collapse of Poundworld, which was formerly owned by TPG Capital, was due to falling footfall, rising costs and weak consumer confidence.

TPG said putting the business into administration was a “difficult decision”, and that the retailer was affected by a decline in the UK retail sector.