We aim to open a shop a week, says Poundland

The group, which sells all its products for 1, reported a 4.4 per cent rise in sales in the five weeks to January 3 at shops open at least a year.

That was a pick-up from 3.9 per cent a year earlier and added to signs of robust Christmas trading from other retailers, including department stores group John Lewis and fashion chain Next.

Total sales, including new openings, jumped 34.8 per cent over Christmas as the firm sold over 3 million crackers, a million packs of batteries and 10,500 miles of wrapping paper.

CEO Jim McCarthy joined rivals in saying consumers would be under pressure in 2010, with the government likely to raise taxes and cut spending to reduce its borrowing.

But he forecast Poundland would continue to thrive and aim to open around one shop per week, creating over 2,000 jobs.

The group, which has 254 stores, said it was offering permanent jobs to 360 workers taken on temporarily over Christmas and it expected to open at least eight new shops, adding around 250 jobs, by its fiscal year end in March.

"We'll probably add another 50 (shops) next (fiscal) year," Mr McCarthy said, adding the group planned to expand in sandwiches and bagged sweets and was also in talks to sell licensed toys.