I spent £10 in ‘Britain’s cheapest sweet shop’ and bought all my last minute gifts, it’s amazing

CHECK-OUTS at the country’s “cheapest candy store” keep ringing from customers who snag last-minute Christmas stocking fillers for less than a tenner.

Everyone in search of a bargain, from children to grandparents, flock to Goodies in the university town of Loughborough, Leicestershire for the gift of tasty treats.

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When The Sun Online paid a visit days before Christmas, the store was packed with cheap sweets, drinks, cookies, savory snacks as well as stuffed animals, calendars and books.

Alex Rogers, the owner’s teenage stepson, said: “It’s crazy! Hardly a second goes by when a customer isn’t here. People stock up on stocking stuffers and most spend less than £10.

“The average spend is a fiver, but some spend a little more.

“Times are tough with the cost of living crisis so a bargain store like ours really helps people and this week it’s the last minute rush before the big day.”

Assistant Alex, 16, smiles: “We are super cheap and therefore always busy.

“We had a lot of people today, it’s non-stop.”

He enjoys the sweet taste of success at the discount store in the Carillon Court shopping center.

It was opened a year ago by his stepfather Bez Norbury, 32, who prides himself on being a little like a wheeler dealer Del Boy.

Goodies fan Carl Batterham said: “It’s great value for money and I came to get all my stocking goodies.”

The father-of-two, 40, whose excited children are Kales, 10, and younger sister Millie, eight, spent £10.50 on his quick festive shop of sweets and toiletries.

The supermarket worker is a regular at the store because he “gets a bargain” and “fills up on goodies” and has different products than the chain he works at.

Brothers Leighton Welham, 12, and nine-year-old Riley were busy shopping for gifts for the family and each other.

They had spent £20 each, which they had received from their aunt as an early gift.

Riley said: “We use our money to buy gifts for other people. There is a lot of choice.”

Picking up a plush brown bear, Riley told his big brother how much he liked him and encouraged him to buy the unsurprising Pressie.

Leighton said he enjoys buying for others, saying it’s “sometimes more fun than receiving.”

Mum-of-two Bex Elcock popped into the store – which undercuts supermarket chains and independents and claims to be Britain’s “cheapest sweet shop” – to buy sweets for her husband.

The 30-year-old dental practice manager shared how she wisely limited her kids’ sweets: “They’d love all the stuff here, but they’d freak out if they ate it — way too much sugar and E numbers (food additives).”

She told our team: “Small dose sweets are allowed but I am buying stocking stuffers here for my husband Ross who is an F1 engineer.

“I spent £9.50 and bought him sweets, yes he can, and his favorite takis chilli and lime snacks. He will be happy.”

“The best kettle I have ever had”

Regular Roberta Henry, 64, was shopping with her sister Fiona McLaughlin and said: “We come in here all the time for cheap everyday stuff.”

The mother of three added: “The kids are grown so we’re not just buying for them!

“It’s basic things like tea, coffee and of course sweets and chips.

“I come once a week and always spend about a tenner. I even bought a £10 kettle once and it’s the best kettle I’ve ever had.”

Her older retired sister Fiona, 69, said she also indulges in “cheap sweets and chips” and recently bought two new £6-a-pair chic cushions, which she describes as “lovely”.

Alex, who is a student but works part-time as a cashier, said the store “needs to keep items cheap in order to sell them.”

He said: “If they are too expensive, no one will buy. We do it right because we’re always banged and the same customers keep coming back.

“The cost of living has really worried people and they check the prices over and over again, they are careful and need to be up to date with their money.”

Alex, who worked single-handedly while Bez went off to buy more supplies, said: “We’ve been struggling to replenish supplies but somehow we’re managing. The shelves can never be empty, so we keep filling them up.

“We work with different wholesalers and get the cheapest we can to pass the price on to our customers.”

He said the best deals on items are the two and three for £1 and “people are really buying lots now because it’s Christmas”.

The American drinks have proved popular – two £1.50 cans and the wide range of sweets including favorite Galaxy and Dairy Milk chocolates, as well as festive chocolate coins and reindeer.

SUGAR BREAK

Alex said the highest amount a customer has recently spent is £32, but that is “a one-off operation”.

He added: “Our stock is constantly changing, so we always have new products to offer and our customers range from children to pensioners. Everyone comes in for a bargain.”

New parents Andrew Rhys-Knightly, 26, and girlfriend Georgia Gordin, 22, were “looking for stocking fillers”.

Green-haired Georgia said: “Our budget is £5-10 but you can get a lot for that money. We come here often and have never spent more than £20.”

She selected some American Sour Patch Kids strawberry gummies as a treat for her partner.

The couple have a newborn son, Noah, but he’s “too young for treats here,” grinned his mum.

Chef Andrew, 26, added: “It’s surprising how much you get for your money here and it fits in our pockets.

“We focus on buying gifts for people, sweets and cookies are our favorites.

“We saw the store’s post on Facebook when it first opened and we come here every time we’re in town and they’re always changing their stock.

“I never fail to spend more than a fiver here.”

Our Sun Online photographer Terry couldn’t resist a bargain and after snapping his snaps of happy chaps and chapesses he bought four cans of root beer for £3 – two for £1.50 – which he later bought when he got home was described as “delicious”.

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