If you know where to look, you can save money and find cheaper options for buying food, clothes and goods for your home.
It is not possible to give you a list of the cheapest shops here, but if you explore your local area you will soon work out which smaller shops are good value for money in your neighbourhood. It is a good idea to try different shops as you may find different places offer better value for money for different items.
Here is information on some of the bigger companies.
Supermarkets
The biggest supermarkets in the UK are Morrisons, Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. However, many people find that ‘discount’ supermarkets which include Aldi and Lidl are cheaper. Many of the bigger stores sell clothes, household items and electrical goods as well as food, toiletries and medicines.
Another store you may find good value is Iceland which sells frozen food.
Money Savings Expert is a website with tips to help you save money when you use a supermarket.
Pound shops and discount stores
Pound shops and discount stores sell a range of goods, including toiletries, stationery, toys, health and beauty products, food and drink. Some of these stores are called pound shops – most of their items cost £1, but not everything is £1 so make sure to check for other price labels.
The biggest pound shops and discount stores include Poundland, B&M Bargains and Home Bargains.
There are stores for all these companies across Leeds – the quickest and easiest way to find your local stores is to use Google Maps.
Charity shops
Charity shops sell second hand goods in good condition and the money raised from the sales goes to charity. They can be good value for buying items including clothes, toys, books, furniture, household items. Most neighbourhoods have charity shops and you will find these out when you explore your local area. You can also use Google Maps – search for ‘Charity Shop’ + the name of your neighbourhood. There are also several in Leeds City Centre.
Here are a few you may want to try:
Emmaus Leeds
Lincoln Green St Mary’s St, Leeds, LS9 7DP
Kirkgate Market Leeds Leeds, LS2 7HY between Rows F & G
St Vincent’s
Middleton 20 Town St, Leeds LS10 3PN
West Park 183 Butcher Hill, Leeds LS16 5DA
The Feel Good Furniture Shop
Hunslet 1 Low Rd, Leeds LS10 1QR
Armley 44-46 Canal Rd, Leeds LS12 2PL
The Meeting Point (this is a charity project that helps refugees and asylum seekers with practical and emotional support). It offers a second-hand shop at its drop-ins:
Christ Church, Armley Ridge Rd, Leeds LS12 3DA
The Salvation Army
175 Meanwood Rd, Leeds LS7 1JW
Leeds Kirkgate Market
Leeds has the biggest indoor market in Europe at Kirkgate and there has been a market in this location for nearly 200 years. The market has hundreds of stalls including:
- furniture
- tools
- textiles
- electrical goods
- clothing
- toys
- fresh fish and meat
- fruit and vegetables
There are many cafes and shops selling food from around the world.
More information about Leeds Kirkgate Market is on the Leeds City Council website:
Main entrance Vicar Lane, Leeds City Centre LS2 7HY. Open Monday – Saturday, 9am to 5pm. You can download a map here:
The market is about 15 minutes walk from Leeds Train Station, about 5 minutes walk from Leeds Bus Station and there are many buses that stop outside on Vicar Lane.
Buying and selling online
Gumtree is a national website you can use to buy and sell second-hand items; you can search in your local area. You usually make an appointment to view the item at the seller’s home and if you want to buy it, pay in cash. You can find many different items on Gumtree, including clothes, furniture, household goods, bicycles and even cars.
The Freecycle Network is similar to Gumtree, but everything is being given away for free.
