By Sean Poulter
Last updated at 1:03 AM on 7th May 2010

Poundland's Pure label peels back to reveal Boots Botanics branding

Poundland's Pure label peels back to reveal Boots Botanics branding


Boots has started an investigation after its beauty products were found on sale at Poundland with its own labels pasted on for just £1.

Creams and potions which sell for up to £8 in the Boots No 7 and Botanics ranges are being sold under the 'Pure' brand in the discount outlets.

Boots was first told about the problem at least eight weeks ago, but the products were still on Poundland shelves all over the country yesterday.

Business student Rhys Gregory and his girlfriend Amanda Ward, both 20, were the first to identify the labelling scam.

The couple, who are studying at Aberystwyth University, bought a Pure Body Sculpting Cream at a nearby Poundland.

Later they found that under the label was the original one for a Boots Botanics product.

Mr Gregory said: 'I would imagine Boots customers would not be very pleased to be paying so much more for products sold for £1 at Poundland.'

He emailed Boots about his discovery eight weeks ago, but received no response.


Some of the Boots products are also being sold by a second budget chain, B&M.

Boots said the products involved should have been relabelled and sold to foreign - rather than British - stores.

Boots said: 'Boots UK does not supply Poundland or B&M. We occasionally have excess stock that has been produced for our international businesses.

'We believe a small amount of this stock has been diverted into UK retailers and sold without our permission. We have now taken steps to ensure that the stock is no longer available by this route.'

The company said it was better for the environment to sell the excess products to foreign retailers at below cost than dump them.

Skin deep: Bargain hunters have reported finding Boots branding concealed under pound shop labels

Poundland insisted its actions were entirely above board. The firm said one of its suppliers has an arrangement with Boots to sell on unwanted products.

A spokesman said: 'There is a bona fide relationship between Boots and our supplier to relabel the products after removing the original label.

'On this occasion, a mistake occurred and we are working with our supplier to rectify the situation.'

Poundland, which was founded in 1990, has proved a huge success on the back of selling big brand health, beauty and other products for just £1.

Earlier this week it was sold to the private equity firm Warburg Pincus for £200million.

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

I don't understand what the big fuss in all about.
In North American manufacturers always sell off over-runs and extra stock to the discount stores. The winners are people like me who shop in the Dollar Stores - it is all about the bargain, not what the shopping bag says.
A couple of years ago I was luck enough to walk into Dollarama here in Toronto and they had a very famous English soap (square bar with the label stuck on the front) at four bars for a dollar. I cleaned up - literally.

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emma b, manchester, 07/5/2010 11:26

Its usually the people like Emma that have to brag and show off their wealth to compensate for lacking elsewhere, owning your own business and paying double for everyday objects does not make you any better sweetie... Bet your the type of person to save your best carrier bags to show off!? Makes your materialistic and shallow.... Have a little grace!!

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EMMA B IN MANCHESTER
You obviously have more money than sense!! Why pay £6 for an item you know you can get elsewhere for a pound?????
I have made some great purchases and got some real bargains from these type of stores, i purchased a set of hand blown german crystal glasses a couple of years ago, i paid £8 for 8 glasses, they still had the chain store stickers on the bottom, a very well known high street chain i might add, and were priced at £6 each!!!!
It is madness to pay high street prices when you really have no need to!!

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If Poundland can sell Boots products at £1 it makes me wonder why Boots is so expensive. I've always thought Boots to be rip off merchants. They are having a laugh at our expense! I love £ and am not poor as emma b would suggest. Nor am I a snob like she seems to be. Not everyone has the luxury of being rich and some people have to shop as Poundland or Primark out of necessity

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Emma B, you stick to running your own business and paying over the odds for something exactly the same. If you were any good at running your business you'd know that cost savings make you more profit. I'm sure you're a much better person than everyone else, and you can show the Joneses how well you're "succeeding". What a pretentious person you are.

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You don't have to be poor to shop at poundland you just have to be blessed with common sense.

I have just got back from the nearest one to me and I spent 10 pound on various well know brand toiletry's it would of cost me at least 20 pound else where, why would anyone pay a extra 10pound for items when they really do not need to.

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