The Poundland store in Southend is set to offer customers frozen food for the first time.

The budget chain has launched Project Diamond Ice as bosses say they are looking to better serve communities as an 'essential retailer'. 

It will see chilled and frozen food added to another 46 Poundland stores in the coming weeks, including the one in the Victoria Shopping Centre in Southend. 

Changes are being made now to ensure the shop can offer a range of new food from the week commencing May 3. 

A frozen and chilled food isle is also set to be introduced to the Poundland shop in Billericay High Street from June 1. 

Items in the range include everyday meals and snacks, including ready-meals, pizzas and pies, as well as frozen desserts and ice-cream.

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New trollies and belted checkouts are also being installed in some larger stores to make the checkout experience "even easier for customers".

The new chilled and frozen ranges have been developed in partnership with Fultons Foods, a leading frozen food specialist which in October became part of the Poundland empire.

Austin Cooke, retail and transformation director, said: “The past year has shown how important Poundland stores are to their local communities and providing a range of chilled and frozen food means our customers can get more of what they need in one shopping trip.

“Where we’ve given stores a makeover, the feedback has been tremendous.

"Shoppers love the extended ranges, and not just in chilled and frozen, and they really like the store layouts and the work we’ve done to make it easier to shop and check out.”

Poundland says a wide range of health and safety measures remain in place in all of its stores to protect customers and staff.

This includes social distancing markers, screens at checkouts and "robust" cleaning regimes.

Customers are requested to wear facemasks and stick to government guidelines.