Police were called to calm protests after a 99p shop announced a sudden end to its half-price sale (Picture: John Jeffay / Cascade)

Police were called to control angry shoppers after a 99p store announced an abrupt end to its half-price closing down sale.

Hundreds of shoppers descended on the discount shop in Wrexham, north Wales, when signs went up in the window advertising everything inside on sale for just 50p.

Shelves were stripped bare in just a few hours before the sale was suddenly ended by the store’s manager, sparking angry scenes, according to wrexham.com.

Bargain hunters staged a protest inside the store, with police arriving to prevent more customers from entering the building.


The two-hour stand-off was only ended when bosses defused the situation with a ‘buy one, get one free’ offer.



One shopper said it was ‘bedlam’ inside the store and said fellow shoppers were acting like ‘vultures’.

Regent Street in Wrexham (Picture: Google)

Shopper Phil Smith said ‘They dropped all the prices to 50p until January 28, and there were queues of about 40 to 50 people all day.

‘Then the manager came around saying everything is back up to 99p.

‘I am so angry, you can’t do that, not when people are in the queue to pay. The police had to come because the people were not having it and not leaving.’

Another added: ‘I was in there for nearly two hours queuing to get to the till. Then the manager took the posters down from the window.

‘People were absolutely furious and that’s why the police were called. Tempers were flaring and people were shouting.’

Tony Brown, chief operating officer for 99p Stores said: ‘We genuinely regret the way this was handled.’

The shop was due to close down before a last-minute deal was struck with the landlord on a new lease.