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One of the questions I’m asked basically all of the time by people visiting London or the UK is, “are there Dollar Stores in the UK or London?”
Whether you’re wondering if there’s a Dollar Tree in the UK or questioning whether there’s a Family Dollar in London, Americans seem to be all about the cheap deals and we want to know if we can find them across the pond.
It must be why we also want to know if there’s a Walmart in the UK or Target in the UK – clearance sections here we come!
Before I dig into the question of dollar stores in the UK or England or London, I wanted to first point out that the UK uses pounds as their currency, not dollars, so automatically you might be asking the wrong question if you’re wondering about a dollar store in London!
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Because the answer to…
Is there a dollar store in the UK or London or England?
is no.
Of course there’s no dollar stores in the UK and no Dollar Trees in the UK as there are no dollars!
However, there ARE pound stores in the UK, so the essence of dollar stores definitely lives on.
Before we get too deep into dollar stores in the UK or why there are no dollar stores in the UK, there are a couple of things I need to share with you given that you’re either planning a trip to the UK or live there.
Firstly, no matter your reason for being here, you need the best book on living in the UK for Americans ever written – the book is called “Girl Gone London: An American’s Guide to Surviving Life in the UK” and you should click here and check it out.
I also may have written it, so I’m biased.
But truly, if you’re coming to the UK as an expat, a study abroad student, or even a visitor, my guide to life in the UK contains both personal anecdotes and maybe too-honest experiences, as well as resources and advice on topics ranging from homesickness in the UK (or how not to rage book a flight to America like I did), driving in the UK, being a student in the UK, and more practical advice about bank accounts, buying houses, and more.
It’s truly a one stop shop for all of the weirdness and wonderfulness (is that a word?) that comes along with life in the UK, and also there is plenty of opportunity to laugh at me as I share all of my expat fails so there’s that.
Secondly, I’ve got some resources below that are specifically aimed at helping travelers and expats adjust to their time in the UK.
Whether you’re a study abroad student in London looking for tips on studying abroad in London or a short-term traveler who just wants to know the difference between a pence and a pound, these resources are for you!
You’ll learn all about my experiences driving in the UK, as well as the best ways to move forward from culture shock when it all becomes a little less glam and a little more sad (that was supposed to rhyme, but I couldn’t think of a good word to rhyme with glam that had to do with culture shock, my bad).
- Culture Shock: The Things We Don’t Talk About
- An American Girl’s Guide to Surviving the London Underground
- Understanding UK Money: Pence, Not Cents!
- Driving in England as an American: An Apology to UK Drivers
Anyway, moving along to dollar stores and Dollar Tree in the UK!
History of Dollar Stores in the UK
As discussed, there are no dollar stores in the UK or London, which means there is no Family Dollar in the UK or Dollar Tree in the UK or Dollar General in the UK or London.
However, there is a history to pound stores in the UK, which started in the 1990s on UK high streets by a father and son entrepreneur team.
They drew their inspiration from the first dollar store in America.
Over the years, these stores have drawn customers like nobody’s business, as everyone loves getting things for a pound.
However, there have been critiques of pound stores by local residents who think that they bring house prices down, draw the wrong crowd, and generally don’t add to the atmosphere of a village or town.
This didn’t stop pound stores from proliferating in the past decades, but as recently as 2018, studies suggest that pound stores are on the decline.
Reasons suggested include changing retail environments, too much competition between stores and the difficulty for shops to retain their profitability.
However, pound stores in the UK aren’t going anywhere yet, so let’s move on to…
Equivalent to Dollar Stores in the UK
There aren’t any dollar stores in the UK, but the closest thing to dollar stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General are pound stores with similar names!
Poundland
Poundland is one of the most popular UK pound shops, founded in 1990 and selling the majority of its stock for £1.
There are currently almost 900 locations across the UK and the iconic teal and yellow logo are well-known.
You can find basically everything in a Poundland, from batteries to clothes to food to toothpaste. At one point they even sold knives, but stopped this in 2017 after a wave of knife attacks.
Poundstretcher
Poundstretcher is another pound store, though less popular than Poundland.
It’s been in operation since the 1980s and had about 335 stores across the UK at its peak.
Poundstretcher sells a variety of items including hair products, towels, homegoods, drinks, candy and more.
It’s seen as a bit more “down market” than a Poundland (if that’s even possible), and it was the subject of a documentary featuring its attempt to revitalize.
Poundworld
Poundworld is actually no longer open – it’s defunct as of 2018, but I included it to both show how pound stores are closing and to mention what a powerhouse it was in the UK.
It used to be Poundland’s biggest competitor, but problems with its items priced higher than £1 and the competition on high streets between pound shops meant that it lost out and is forever closed.
Read more in my full guide comparing UK and US stores and restaurants.
Discounts
They might not be under $1 (or £1) but you can find super affordable clothing, accessories and homewares in the UK using Everything 5 Pounds voucher codes. These are available online and there are a variety affordable styles to choose from
Coming to London Soon?
Hey!
Since you’re here I’m assuming you’re intent on visiting this amazing city soon!
Getting the lowdown on the hottest spots in town can be time consuming so I took the liberty of picking out some great ones below. Hope you enjoy!
Open Top Bus London Tour: Double Decker buses are not only a way of transportation in London, but a definitive pastime of the city dwellers.
This tour lets you see London by night and experience a true right of passage that every Londoner must complete. A two for one YAY!
Kew Gardens: If you want to explore some of the calmer areas of the city, I highly recommend exploring the botanicals at Kew Gardens.
London’s largest World Heritage site boasts acres of gardens in a royal glass palace because, yes, everything here gets the royal treatment.
Afternoon Tea Cruise on River Thames: Oh so you’ve come to London looking for tea?
Lucky for you there’s literally MILLIONS of options to choose from… it can actually get overwhelming.
So I made it easy for you and found one of the best teas in town, complete with the best setting as well!
Want to know more about US stores in the UK? Check this list out!
- Is there a Costco in London or the UK?
- Is there a Target in London or the UK?
- Is there a Shoe Carnival in London or the UK?
- Is there a Duane Reade in London or the UK?
- Is there a Books-a-Million in London or the UK?
- Is there a Giant in London or the UK?
- Is there a Justice store in London or in the UK?
- Is there a PacSun in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Barnes and Noble in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Pottery Barn in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chase Bank in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Banana Republic in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Arby’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Children’s Place in London or in the UK?
- Is there a 7 Eleven in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Hot Topic in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Applebee’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Disney World in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Bath and Body Works in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Bank of America in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Panda Express in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Boston Market in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Sam’s Club in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Wawa in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Trader Joe’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Safeway in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Sears in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Wegman’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a TJMaxx in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Kroger in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Little Ceasars in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Dick’s Sporting Good in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Panera Bread in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Cheesecake Factory in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Johnny Rocket’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Wells Fargo in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chuck E Cheese in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Sonic in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Waffle House in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Red Lobster in London or in the UK?
- Is there an IHOP in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chili’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Goodwill in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Popeyes in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Old Navy in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Dillards in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Walgreens in London or in the UK?
- Is there a CVS in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Ulta in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Best Buy in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Kmart in London or in the UK?
- Is there a JCPenney in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Publix in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Marshalls in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Nordstrom in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Lowes in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Bed Bath and Beyond in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Taco Bell in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Dairy Queen in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Steak n Shake in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Hobby Lobby in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Sephora in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Macys in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Ross in London or in the UK?
- Is there an American Eagle in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Petsmart in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Michaels in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Olive Garden in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chick Fil A in London or in the UK?
- Is there an Outback Steakhouse in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Chipotle in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Kohls in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Starbucks in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Home Depot in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Wendy’s in London or in the UK?
- Is there a Walmart in London or in the UK?
- Is there an In-N-Out Burger in London or in the UK?
Heading to London? Want the best tips?
Check out my Ultimate Guide to London for Visitors.Using text, images and video, this guide is packed full of tips, tricks, safety advice, knowledge on how to get around and what to do, and more!
