The Works Voucher Codes - Apr 2020

History of The Works

The Works started out in 1981 as Remainders Ltd, a discount bookstore offering customers a range of book titles at value prices. In 2003 it was rebranded as The Works, and in 2007 it bought out 26 Bookworld and Bargain Books outlets when their parent company found itself in financial difficulty and went into administration. Shortly afterwards The Works itself went into administration and in 2008 private equity company Endless LLP acquired the business and successfully re-established it as The Works Stores Ltd.

Endless LLP, who remain the majority shareholders, undertook a partnership with Anthony Solomon shortly after acquisition of the company and the combination of Endless's investment and Solomon's retail entrepreneurial expertise has since led to a drive to expand and promote The Works into a large online presence alongside its many UK-wide stores and diversification into providing a wider range of discount products including gifts, stationery, toys, hobbies, music and film, as well as its traditional book sales.

The autumn of 2013 saw The Works trialling a new image and format for its stores, which the company is currently working to roll out through its 300-plus stores across the UK. It is also focusing on further developing its provision of children's learning toys, hobbies, crafts and stationery to appeal to a broader customer base, and on opening a further 30-50 new stores per year. The company's main selling point and ethos is value for money, and all products are aimed at appealing to customers who are looking for a bargain.

Brands

As well as its own 'Premium Essentials' stationery range and vast choice of authors, genres and styles of books, music and film, The Works offers products in-store and online from a large number of respected brands, including the following:

• BBC
• Bic
• Bostick
• Disney
• ELD
• Jumbo
• Ladybird
• Lego
• Mattel

• Nickelodeon
• Oxford Reading Tree
• Pritt
• Sellotape
• UHU

Departments

The Works has a range of online and in-store departments, including:

• Books
• Art and Craft
• CDs and DVDs
• Stationery
• Toys and Games
• Home and Leisure
• Office
• Kids
• Offers

Opening Times

Store opening times differ from store to store, with some stores opening at later times such as retail parks or late night shopping centres, however generally stores (particularly those on the high street) are open at the following times:

Delivery Information

The Works offers a choice of Standard or Next Day delivery options for online or phone orders. Standard delivery is free for orders of more than £20 or costs £2.99 for orders below this value, and Standard delivery items are dispatched via Royal Mail for delivery within 2-3 working days. Next Day delivery costs £6.99 and items are delivered by courier within 1 working day for orders placed by 3pm. Next Day orders placed after 3pm will be delivered within 2 working days. A free Click and Collect service is also available for online orders into around 300 stores across the UK, with items being ready to collect within 3-5 days.

Returns Policy

Refunds and exchanges are available in line with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, allowing cancellations of online orders within 28 days of receipt of the goods. Some items are excluded from cancellations, including sealed software or video recordings that have been opened. Damaged items or those sent in error should be notified to customer services within 7 days of receipt to apply for cancellation. Full details of The Works' returns policy are available on their website.

Items that are eligible for return for a refund or exchange can be taken into any The Works store, including items ordered online, or they can be returned by collection or by post along with original order documents and proof of postage. Refunds or exchanges will be issued within 14 days of receipt of the goods at the warehouse.

Orders and returns, including those placed via phone or post, can be tracked online if customers have registered an online account when ordering.

Security & Reviews

The Works takes online security seriously and is a Trusted Shops certified retailer, giving customers peace of mind regarding protection of personal and payment data during the checkout process and also regarding protection against loss of payment in the case of non-delivery. The Works uses World Pay as its online payment authorisation and payments can also be made via PayPal, offering an additional level of payment protection.

The Works has received some mixed reviews from customers on TrustPilot (https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.theworks.co.uk), with an average review rating of 5.5 out of 10. However, it is worth noting that The Works handles a vast amount of customer orders and the majority of these may be satisfied with their purchase and not motivated to leave reviews about the service they have received.