Year End Trading Update

Poundland Group Plc

Year End Trading Update

Poundland Group plc ("Poundland", or "the Group"), the leading UK single price value retailer, today announces its year end trading update for the 52 weeks ended 30 March 2014. The Board will announce audited full year results for the period on 3 July 2014.

Total sales of £997.8 million increased by 13.3% year on year (2013: £880.5 million). The Group delivered a good underlying profit performance with margin well managed and costs tightly controlled across the business. It is therefore expected that underlying profits will be in line with market consensus1.

Poundland's store opening programme continues to progress well, with 70 net new stores opened during the period, bringing the total estate to 528 stores at the year end. As previously announced, the Group has identified further opportunities for growth, both in the UK and internationally, with plans to open 60 net new stores a year in the UK and Ireland and to move towards 10 trial stores in Spain over the next two years.

Commenting on today's announcement Jim McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer, said:

"Poundland delivers amazing value to our customers every day and millions of them, across the UK and Ireland, are voting with their purses and wallets every week. As a result of this support from our customers, we have achieved another record profit performance across the Group, with our store opening programme on track, underlying profits in line with market consensus and good cash generation. Looking ahead, we will continue to manage the business tightly while investing in clear opportunities for future growth. We are confident in making further progress in the new financial year."

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1 The current range of analysts' estimates for underlying profits after tax for the year ended 30 March 2014 is £26.6m to £27.3m, with a consensus of £27.0m