Shops offering everything for £1 or less have become a magnet for wealthier shoppers who have also flocked to Aldi and Lidl, a new study revealed today. Almost half of all people who have visited  discounters such as 99p Stores, Poundstretcher, B&M Bargains and Wilkinsons are middle class and among the country's highest earners, research has found. A new report says  57 per cent of adults in the UK claim to use a discount store like Poundland every week because the 'stigma' of shopping in budget stores has ended, experts have said. Of those 53 per cent are in the top A/B social class, who on average earn more than £35,000-a-year, a significant increase  from the 37 per cent figure a year ago. Shopping habits: Almost half of all people who have visited discounters such as 99p Stores, Poundstretcher,  and Wilkinsons are now middle class and among the country's highest earners, new research has found . The news comes on the back of the massive rise in popularity of Aldi and Lidl, which are attracting increasing numbers of middle class shoppers, dubbed the 'Lidl class'. Last week Aldi's growing share of the grocery market saw it overtake Waitrose to become Britain's sixth biggest supermarket. But the latest research by retail consultancy group 'Him!' found that variety discounters selling everything from sweets to stationery for £1 or less are also booming, especially with wealthier shoppers. B&M bargains grew its sales by 66 per cent to £1.3 billion last year and Poundland's sales grew 13 per cent to £998 million in the same period. 77% are attracted by cheap prices . 7.73 - number of items bought per visit . £8.93 - average spend per visit . 33% have visited a variety discounter once a week in the past month . 31% use variety discount stores for top-up shopping . Source: Retail consultants Him! Katie Littler, communications director of Him!, said: 'There has been a considerable shift in higher income households using variety discounters, just as we have seen them using Aldi and Lidl regularly. 'Any stigma is slowly disappearing and they are becoming just another retailer, albeit trusted for a more limited range of missions and categories.' The report, revealed by The Grocer magazine, said people who most use variety discounters also tend to be young. Nearly a third (30 per cent) are under 34 and two in three (66 per cent) of 18 to 24 year olds say they have visited a variety discounter. Poundland has been especially successful in attracting young shoppers with 31 per cent  visiting a branch in the past week, up from 26 per cent a year ago. Men are increasingly visiting cheap chain stores - 44 per cent of men said they had visited a Poundland branch in the previous week, up from 37 per cent a year ago. More popular than ever: Poundland's sales grew 13 per cent to £998 million last year as more people head to the store . Experts say the variety discounters have successfully taken over the gap left on high streets by Woolworths, which sold a range of general merchandise from pick and mix sweets to hardware and CDs. The Him! report says most people visiting a variety discounter do so for so-called top up shopping, but grocery items are crucial. Some 57 per cent of shoppers buy confectionary, 54 per cent go for food, 48 per cent for health and beauty, 40 per cent household items and 40 per cent crisps and snacks. Katie Littler said: 'The food and drink items bought are much less about fresh and chilled, which have become the big footfall drivers for Aldi and Lidl. However, the report found that average basket spend at variety discounters is just £8.93, the lowest for any grocery retailer and behind £11.81 in a convenience store and £31.30 in a supermarket. The Grocer commented: 'Posher, younger and with a sweet tooth, loyal shoppers have been successfully pulled in by variety discounters. 'The key to continued growth will be getting those shoppers to splash more of their cash.'
Number of Britain's highest earners going to pound stores is now up 20% .
More than half of all shoppers say they head to pound shops each week .
Experts say they are topping up their weekly shop, often from Lidl or Aldi .