Have you ever used the phrase cheap as chips and wondered if it still holds true? In Australia, those three words are also the name of a discount store that recently found itself at the centre of a retail consolidation.

4 related posts

Store status: Click & Collect discontinued, in-store only ·
Phrase definition: British informal: inexpensive; good value ·
Acquisition: Cheap as Chips acquired by Choice the Discount Store ·
Job impact: Hundreds of jobs saved

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

Four key numbers capture the scale of the deal, one pattern: consolidation is tightening Australia’s discount retail sector.

Metric Value
Definition of “cheap as chips” British informal: inexpensive; good value (Collins Dictionary (authoritative English dictionary))
Store status Acquired by Choice; in-store only (Choice the Discount Store (official press release))
Jobs saved Over 500 (Choice the Discount Store (official press release))
Phrase origin United Kingdom (Collins Dictionary (authoritative English dictionary))
Number of Cheap as Chips stores before acquisition 47 (in SA, Vic, NSW) (Inside Retail Australia (leading Australian retail news outlet))
Number of stores joining Choice 44 (Inside Retail Australia (leading Australian retail news outlet))
Choice stores before acquisition 41 (Choice the Discount Store (official press release))
Combined expected store count 90+ by end of year (EIN Presswire (verified news distribution service))
Previous owner of Cheap as Chips Alceon (private equity) (Inside Retail Australia (leading Australian retail news outlet))
Choice ownership 100% Australian-owned, family-operated (Choice the Discount Store (official press release))
Click & Collect Discontinued (Choice the Discount Store (official press release))
Acquisition announcement date March 3, 2026 (EIN Presswire (verified news distribution service))
The upshot

For customers in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, the line between Cheap as Chips and Choice is dissolving. Shoppers lose a familiar name but gain a larger combined network that Choice says will offer better value.

What has happened to Cheap as Chips?

The acquisition by Choice the Discount Store

  • On December 30, 2025, Palcove Pty Ltd (trading as Cheap as Chips) signed a contract to sell the business to Choice the Discount Store (Inside Retail Australia (leading Australian retail news outlet)).
  • Choice publicly announced the deal on March 3, 2026, calling it a strategic expansion (Choice the Discount Store (official press release)).
  • Cheap as Chips had entered administration before the sale, with administrators appointed to manage the transaction (Inside Retail Australia (leading Australian retail news outlet)).
Why this matters

The acquisition secures more than 500 jobs, but it also marks the end of a standalone brand that had operated for years across 47 locations.

Changes in shopping experience (Click & Collect stopped)

  • Choice confirmed that Cheap as Chips’ Click & Collect service has been discontinued (Choice the Discount Store (official press release)).
  • All purchases are now in-store only, aligning with Choice’s existing operating model.

The implication: customers who relied on ordering online and picking up at the store now have to visit a physical location, a change that could cost convenience but may open access to a wider product range under Choice.

Who is the new owner of Cheap as Chips?

Choice the Discount Store as acquirer

  • Choice the Discount Store describes itself as a 100% Australian-owned, family-operated retailer founded in 1996 in Redbank, Queensland (Choice the Discount Store (official press release)).
  • Before the acquisition, Choice operated 41 stores (Choice the Discount Store (official press release)).
  • With the addition of 44 Cheap as Chips stores, the combined network is expected to exceed 90 stores by the end of the year (EIN Presswire (verified news distribution service)).
The trade-off

Choice gains a dominant footprint across Eastern Australia and South Australia, but inherits the challenge of rebranding a chain whose name itself means “inexpensive”.

100% Australian-owned

  • Choice stresses its Australian ownership in its press materials, positioning itself as a local alternative to larger international discount retailers.
  • The acquisition moves the combined entity squarely into the middle of Australia’s discount retail market, competing with chains like The Reject Shop and Crazy Clarks.

The pattern: a family-owned regional player is using the acquisition to leapfrog into a national position, all while keeping capital Australian.

What does the phrase Cheap as Chips mean?

Definition from Collins Dictionary

Bottom line: The phrase signals value. For Australian shoppers, it carries a double meaning — a literal bargain and the now-fading name of the store they visited.

Usage in British English

  • The phrase is common in the UK and also in Australia, where fish and chips culture and a fondness for informal idioms keep it alive.
  • It often appears in contexts like “That meal was cheap as chips” or “The ticket was cheap as chips.”

Why this matters: the idiom’s longevity is tested when the product it references — chips — becomes more expensive. Soaring potato and oil costs have pushed chip prices up, making the phrase feel slightly outdated to some speakers.

Where did the saying ‘cheap as chips’ come from?

Origin and usage in the UK

  • The phrase likely originated in the United Kingdom, where chips (thick-cut fries) have historically been one of the cheapest takeaway foods (Collins Dictionary (authoritative English dictionary, noting British origin)).
  • It follows a common pattern of British similes that use everyday foods as benchmarks of cheapness — “as cheap as chips” parallels “as cheap as dirt” or “as cheap as borscht” in other cultures.

Comparison with other idioms

  • Similar expressions include “dirt cheap” (English) and “spot goedkoop” (Dutch), but “cheap as chips” is unique in its casual, food-based evocation of affordability.
  • The idiom has retained currency in Australia partly because of the country’s British heritage and its own thriving fast-food chip culture.
The paradox

As chip prices rise due to supply chain pressures, the idiom may become a nostalgic relic — a phrase rooted in an era when a bag of chips truly cost next to nothing.

Is Cheap as Chips closing down?

Transition to Choice the Discount Store

  • Cheap as Chips is not closing entirely; it is being rebranded to Choice the Discount Store over time (Choice the Discount Store (official press release)).
  • Choice’s announcement frames the move as a “transformation” rather than a shutdown.
  • However, three stores (in Albury, Wonthaggi, and Windsor) were reportedly not included in the sale (Inside Retail Australia (leading Australian retail news outlet)), suggesting some locations may close.

Store closures or rebranding?

  • Choice said it intends to maintain continuity across the Cheap as Chips network, which implies most stores will stay open under the Choice banner.
  • Administration followed by a sale typically means creditors are paid and the business survives, albeit under new ownership.

The catch: the familiar Cheap as Chips signage will disappear, but the jobs and most storefronts remain. For shoppers, the biggest change is who owns the checkout.

Bottom line: Cheap as Chips is rebranding, not vanishing. Customers in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales will see Choice signs go up in place of the old name, but the same aisles and roughly the same staff will stay. Choice the Discount Store (official press release).

Timeline

  • Before 2024: Cheap as Chips operates as a standalone discount retailer across 47 stores in SA, Vic, and NSW, owned by private equity firm Alceon.
  • December 30, 2025: Sale contract signed with Choice the Discount Store (Inside Retail Australia (leading Australian retail news outlet)).
  • March 3, 2026: Acquisition publicly announced; over 500 jobs secured (EIN Presswire (verified news distribution service)).
  • Ongoing: Rebranding of Cheap as Chips stores to Choice; Click & Collect discontinued.
What to watch

The speed of rebranding will determine whether customers defect to other discounters. A slow transition risks confusing shoppers who see both names in the same neighbourhood.

Confirmed facts vs. What’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Cheap as Chips has been acquired by Choice the Discount Store.
  • Over 500 jobs have been saved.
  • Click & Collect has been discontinued; all purchases are now in-store only.
  • 44 of 47 Cheap as Chips stores are joining the Choice network.
  • The combined network will exceed 90 stores by the end of the year.
  • Choice is 100% Australian-owned and family-operated.
  • The Collins Dictionary definition of “cheap as chips” is British informal: inexpensive; good value.

What’s still unclear

  • How many of the three excluded stores (Albury, Wonthaggi, Windsor) will close permanently.
  • Whether the phrase “cheap as chips” will lose relevance as chip prices rise.
  • Whether customers will accept the rebranding or seek other discount retailers.

“Hundreds of jobs saved as Choice the Discount Store acquires Cheap as Chips.”

Choice the Discount Store (official press release)

“Cheap as chips is defined as British informal: inexpensive; good value.”

Collins Dictionary (authoritative English dictionary)

The quotes above frame the two sides of this story: a commercial transaction that saved jobs, and an idiom that continues to define value for millions of speakers.

Additional sources

choicethediscountstore.com.au

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Frequently asked questions

Does Cheap as Chips have a mobile app?

As of the acquisition, Cheap as Chips did not operate a dedicated mobile app. Choice the Discount Store does have a website but no publicly listed app. Customers are directed to in-store shopping.

Can I order online from Cheap as Chips?

No. Click & Collect has been discontinued, and the online ordering option is no longer available. All purchases are now in-store only.

Why is ‘cheap as chips’ becoming less common?

The phrase may be fading as the cost of chips themselves rises due to inflation in potato and oil prices. However, it remains commonly understood in British and Australian English.

How many Cheap as Chips stores are there in Victoria?

Exact regional breakdowns have not been published, but the chain operated 47 stores across South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales before the acquisition.

What products does Cheap as Chips sell?

Cheap as Chips is a discount variety store selling household goods, groceries, toys, stationery, and seasonal items at low price points.

Who said ‘cheap as chips’ as a catchphrase?

No single person is famously associated with the phrase. It is a colloquial idiom rather than a branded catchphrase. In Australia, it gained extra visibility as the name of the discount chain.

Is ‘cheap as chips’ still relevant today?

Yes, the idiom is still used in everyday speech, especially in the UK and Australia. Its relevance may be tested as chip prices rise, but for now it remains a standard expression for bargains.

What is the future of the Cheap as Chips brand?

The brand is being phased out as stores are rebranded to Choice the Discount Store. The name may disappear from storefronts, but the phrase will live on in language.

Bottom line: The Cheap as Chips name is leaving shop windows, not vocabulary. For the 500+ employees whose jobs were saved, the acquisition means a new owner but continued work. For shoppers in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, the choice is clear: adapt to the new Choice stores, or find another discounter that still lives up to the idiom’s promise.