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Pound stores pull posh punters
The number of pound stores has risen by 60 per cent in the last two years as posh shoppers have developed an eye for a bargain in the downturn. According to new research by the Local Data Company, just under half of the 1,423 discount stores are in London and the South East and, for every one that closes, another two open. The customer base is also growing, with Poundland reporting a 22 per cent increase in shoppers from the affluent AB demographic.