The company was established back in 1967 when, with just £300, Lynda and David Chaplin – who had retail experience with shoes and builders merchants respectively – decided to buy some clearance goods and start in business for themselves. 

Chaplins Superstore is not coy about what has made it successful and, with more than 50 years’ trading under its belt in Plymouth, it’s a business plan that clearly works.

The company’s success – as owners Lynda Thompson, and her daughter Vanessa Chaplin, happily admit – lies in a simple philosophy and winning formula: stack it high and sell it cheap, while caring for your customers and providing what they want at a price they can afford.

It sounds simple enough, but it’s taken years of experience to make it work so consistently. The secret, according to Lynda and Vanessa, is to listen to customers, provide value for money and be responsive to trends.

This no-frills, back-to-basics approach and hands-on management allows Chaplins to be more nimble-footed in its buying policy than many other retail outlets. If they see an opportunity they seize it and are able to introduce new lines without recourse to a long decision-making chain.

Lynda says: “Shopping at Chaplins certainly has an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ aspect. Regular shoppers, many of whom we are now on first-name terms with, will find something new. They expect change, they look for bargains and they love surprises. Our buying policy will always reflect the seasons – and our customers appreciate that.”