Fast-growing round-pound indie Poundworld is desperate to do business with Premier Foods but keeps being snubbed, it claims.
The discounter, which ranks grocery as its number one category across its more than 150 Poundworld and Discount UK stores, has been left frustrated after repeated attempts to contact the food manufacturer, claims Poundworld trading director Chris Edwards Jr.
"We can't even get hold of anybody. We try every few months. Next year we will have over 200 stores. At what point will they deal with us? It's ridiculous. I can't even get an explanation. I want their products and I want to deal direct but we can't."
A spokesman for Premier Foods said: "We don't comment on details of commercial discussions, decisions or relationships."
Poundworld has boosted its grocery range by 200 SKUs since July this year when it pledged to offer customers "a decent food shopping basket". Grocery sales were up 20% on 2010, Edwards said, and it was also planning to stock alcohol in its larger multi-price format stores Discount UK for the first time.
"If there is any alcohol that sells for 99p, and does well, then we can move it into Poundworld," Edwards confirmed.
The discounter is also preparing to trial frozen food in two Poundworlds and four Discount UKs. "We are launching a core frozen range in three weeks," said Edwards. "We will stick with one freezer in Poundworld stores but in big Discount UK stores we have space for triple that if it goes well."
The move complemented Poundworld's rapidly expanding chilled offer, Edwards said. "We have eggs and milk. We will launch bread when we launch frozen food and we are adding commodity items like cheese, bacon, sausages and butter."
The move into frozen comes a fortnight after rival 99p Stores installed freezers in 50 stores. "So far frozen has exceeded our expectations. It is going really well," said commercial director Hussein Lalani.
The discounter, which ranks grocery as its number one category across its more than 150 Poundworld and Discount UK stores, has been left frustrated after repeated attempts to contact the food manufacturer, claims Poundworld trading director Chris Edwards Jr.
"We can't even get hold of anybody. We try every few months. Next year we will have over 200 stores. At what point will they deal with us? It's ridiculous. I can't even get an explanation. I want their products and I want to deal direct but we can't."
A spokesman for Premier Foods said: "We don't comment on details of commercial discussions, decisions or relationships."
Poundworld has boosted its grocery range by 200 SKUs since July this year when it pledged to offer customers "a decent food shopping basket". Grocery sales were up 20% on 2010, Edwards said, and it was also planning to stock alcohol in its larger multi-price format stores Discount UK for the first time.
"If there is any alcohol that sells for 99p, and does well, then we can move it into Poundworld," Edwards confirmed.
The discounter is also preparing to trial frozen food in two Poundworlds and four Discount UKs. "We are launching a core frozen range in three weeks," said Edwards. "We will stick with one freezer in Poundworld stores but in big Discount UK stores we have space for triple that if it goes well."
The move complemented Poundworld's rapidly expanding chilled offer, Edwards said. "We have eggs and milk. We will launch bread when we launch frozen food and we are adding commodity items like cheese, bacon, sausages and butter."
The move into frozen comes a fortnight after rival 99p Stores installed freezers in 50 stores. "So far frozen has exceeded our expectations. It is going really well," said commercial director Hussein Lalani.
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