A discount retailer has announced it will be shutting nine more stores before the end of February. Poundland has been reducing its footprint on the high street as it aims to improve its performance.

Shops that are due to close are currently holding clearance sales, offering discounts of up to 40% as they try to shift remaining stock. Stores closing imminently include Plymstock on January 20, Gosport on January 29 and Urmston on February 16. Following these changes, the budget retailer has committed to pricing around 60% of grocery items at £1 across its remaining stores. This decision comes after a five-month trial at 17 locations in the West Midlands. The company said this initiative will see it go "back to its roots" and mark "the end of additional price complexity", with simple pricing set to be introduced across general merchandise and clothing ranges in the coming months. The number of Poundland outlets is expected to fall to between 650 and 700 from 800 last year, as leases expire or landlords choose to serve notice.

The chain has also confirmed that stores due to close are holding major sales to clear their stock. A spokesperson for Poundland stated: "Customers will be able to take advantage of significant savings as these stores prepare for closure in the days ahead.

"The reductions of up to 40pc will see items marked down in price until they're sold and cover all the stock in each store from homewares to groceries and clothing to health and beauty."

Darren MacDonald, Poundland's UK country manager, said: "We know how disappointing it is when we leave a store, but before we close our doors for a final time, we're determined to say goodbye by offering even more amazing value to customers.

"The special reductions, on top of the value we provide in every store, will help us leave locations we're leaving with pride.

"And when we close our doors, we look forward to welcoming customers to one of the hundreds of Poundland stores we'll continue to operate right across the UK."

Latest Poundland store closures