Words by Laura Clayton.

Hidden away deep within Hammersmith’s King’s Mall, London’s branch of Tiger has been quietly garnering a staunch following of fans ever since it appeared, bargain prices and great design ahoy, back in 2006. The Danish chain adheres to same kind of non-nonsense Scandinavian simplicity at “can it really be that cheap?” prices we’ve come to expect from fellow Nordics IKEA, but with not a flat-pack in sight.

One of only four branches in the UK (hunt down the others in Chelmsford, Basingstoke and North Finchley), Hammersmith’s Tiger has found itself in something of a bargain-hunters paradise, what with Primark directly opposite and TK Maxx across the street. However while chaos reigns supreme at either of the former, Tiger exudes a kind of come-hither calm, with not a reference to its thrifty prices to be seen, leaving unsuspecting customers to judge for themselves. What’s more, to make shopping even simpler, every item in store is priced at under £10 with the most part scanning in at a “yes please” £1-3.

So what can you get for your tenner? Well, perhaps, what can’t you get? might be an easier starting point. By some sleight of hand, Tiger seems to stock a bit of everything—from Fair Isle hats and laptop cases to anatomical models and toothpaste—and all in an orderly, easy-to-navigate manner that leaves you agreeing, “well why the hell not?” and stocking up your basket. I was particularly enamoured with Tiger’s bargainous picture frames, at sizes to fit Polaroids and Record sleeves (£2, £3), the excellent art section (think oil pastels, canvases and even easels for under a fiver), and most surprisingly perhaps, a great selection of nuts, herbs and seasonings for your pound. And with convenience like that, it’s just as well there’ll be more Tiger braches popping up around the UK soon. Hurrah.

www.tigerstores.co.uk

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