Poundland given warning for selling restricted goods

Anthony Lewis, local democracy reporter

Poundland in a Rhondda Cynon Taf retail park has been given an improvement notice for not controlling customer access to restricted goods.

The store based in Talbot Green’s Glamorgan Vale Retail Park has been given 48 hours to rectify the issue after a council enforcement officer saw that “no measures have been taken to control customer access to restricted goods within the store” on Tuesday, January 26.

The officer’s report said there was a failure to comply with the obligations imposed on them by coronavirus regulations to take “reasonable measures to minimise risk of exposure to coronavirus.”

The notice has told Poundland to not carry out certain activities such as exposing goods for sale other than those permitted.

‘Close’ 

It said they should close or mark off a part of the premises to prevent customer access to such goods.

Where there are distinct parts of a store selling things like electrical goods, clothes, toys, games, or products for the garden, these should be closed to the public – and these products should not be sold.

The notice said that where such products do not have their own sections of the shop but are in distinct aisles, these should also be closed off or cordoned off if reasonably practicable.

It also said that restricted goods should be, where possible, removed from sale or adequately blocked off with the use of sheeting, tape, or barriers.

The notice also said the responsibility for closing premises and not selling certain products cannot be delegated to customers and must be managed by the shop.

It said that making all of their products available and just asking customers through signs or announcements not to purchase anything that the customer thinks they have good reason to buy does not meet the legal obligation.