Steve Smith, the Wolverhampton businessman who once owned Poundland, has offered to invest in the chain again. He says he tried to contact Gordon Brothers, the firm that now runs the business, but received no reply. In the world of second chances, a rejected investment pitch is a bold way to start a comeback.
Now a minister is reportedly preparing to meet the board, and the investing expertise on offer comes from a man whose most visible legacy is shelves that looked like a game of hide and seek. Nobody has yet explained what he would bring to the table beyond a confident tone and a long memory of the till.
So what does this mean for you? A pound shop is one of the most honest barometers of the household budget. When money gets tight, people go there first, and when the shelves start to thin, it tells you something about supply chains and about what companies think ordinary shoppers will pay. If someone offers to make you rich by explaining how to invest, ask whether they can keep their own shelves stocked first. Then decide whether you want their advice.