B&M is usually full of bargains, but as the cost of living crisis bites, price rises may be on the way for everyone’s favourite budget store. The value retailer has reported a dip in sales for the past year, brought on by the cost of living crisis. Plenty of shoppers are trying to curb their […]
B&M is usually full of bargains, but as the cost of living crisis bites, price rises may be on the way for everyone’s favourite budget store.
The value retailer has reported a dip in sales for the past year, brought on by the cost of living crisis.
Plenty of shoppers are trying to curb their spending as inflation pushes prices on the shelves to their highest.
They also have soaring bills, rising taxes, and more to contend with, having to sacrifice some of the more leisure-based buys from the likes of B&M or similar, in order to keep the household budget afloat.
As a result, B&M said its like-for-like sales over the latest eight weeks have been 13.2% below levels from a year earlier.
But for fans of the store, it could mean seeing price tags hiked on the shop shelves.
In a sales review posted today, Simon Arora, B&M chief executive, said: “Looking ahead, it remains difficult to accurately predict the net impact a number of different factors could have on the business.
“These include, but are not limited to, the impact of rising inflation on product cost prices and consumer spending.”
It doesn’t mean shoppers can’t STILL find a good deal at the superstore on the things they are still buying though.
Mr Arora also said: “The retail industry is facing inflationary pressures whilst our customers are having to cope with a significant increase in the cost of living, making spending behaviour in the year ahead difficult to predict.
“However, we have seen before that during such times customers will increasingly seek out value for money, and B&M is ideally placed to serve those needs.
“As such, we are well positioned to support the communities in which we trade and continue our long-term growth strategy.”
Here’s four ways to bag a bargain at B&M, even if prices do rise.
Often when you’re on the hunt for a bargain, the time of day that you visit the store can have an impact on what you pick up, and for what price.
Shoppers have speculated on Facebook forums, for example, that Tuesday is when staff reduce food, pet items and cleaning products.
They have claimed there will often be discounts on old stock and seasonal items on Thursdays and Saturdays too.
That being said, discounts and reductions can’t really be pinpointed to one day of the week, as B&M has confirmed in the past that different products will be marked down in price every day.
So if there’s no set day of the week to shop – what about time of day?
Stock can be subject to availability so once staff start reducing items from 7.30am, whatever day of the week it may be, you’ll want to be first in line.
You can find out when your nearest store opens using B&M’s online shop finder tool.
Plenty of fans claim to have saved hundreds of pounds by using the store’s barcode scanner.
It’s a free app you download onto your phone that lets you see if an item’s price is cheaper than advertised on the shop shelf – uncovering “hidden” bargains around the store.
On a Facebook forum dedicated to the app, B&M scanner and Other Bargains, users have shared everything from 10p one-off finds to £100 hauls slashed to half price.
But what you can scan will differ from day to day, and takes a little luck.
Of course, you have to remember that it’s only a bargain if you were planning on buying it anyway.
The app can be useful to check the item you’ve already picked up is cheaper, but you don’t go over budget buying items just BECAUSE they’re reduced.
The simplest way to bag a bargain at the store is by signing up to B&M’s newsletter.
It’s free to do, you’ll just have to hand over details of your email address when prompted on the stores online landing page.
The frequent updates will tell you about its latest offers without you even needing to head to the shop.
The only trouble is you could be bombarded with deals and sales that tempt you to over spend.
Be careful not to buy EVERYTHING the budget retailer suggests, even if it has gone through a price reduction or its part of a great limited time multibuy.
You’ll only make a saving if you were planning on buying something anyway.
Online deal finder tools from the likes of Hotukdeals or Latestdeals, will even do the hard work for you.
By typing “B&M” in their search bars, you’ll be able to scroll through all the listings that filter through from other fans, shoppers and experts.
All the discounts already applied, or due to crop up soon in shops pop up on the deal hunting blogs, taking all the guesswork out of your next visit to the shop.
Plus, it means you can easily have a shop around – which you should do any time you’re looking for the best bargain.
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B&M is known for its low prices, but you might find an even better deal at similar discount rivals like Home Bargains or Aldi.
Google Shopping is a great online tool that can help you easily compare like-for-like and find the cheapest price.
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