Discounters ‘will continue to flourish post-recession’

Discount retailers such as Poundland and Wilkinson will continue to perform well – both during and following the recession.

That is the forecast from accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, which says that sales at shops selling products such as bargain kitchenware, toiletries and chocolate could top £4bn by 2012 – 25% up on 2008’s sales.

PwC believes that the recession has fostered a new culture of bargain hunting amongst all types of consumer, and that it will carry on after the recession with shoppers now realising what savings can be made on basic items.

“The recession has made shoppers acutely aware of what they spend unnecessarily,” the company says.