Who doesn't love one B&M bargain? You can get lost in the aisles trying to decide which discounted goods to fill your basket. So it's perhaps only natural that customers thought the name stood for something that explains how cheaply you can stock up at the store.
Bargains and more is what many people thought the letters meant. But in reality it stands for something completely different: they are the names of the founder.
The actual name stands for Billington and Mayman, after the chain's founder Malcolm Billington and Mayman, a partner in the store. The store was originally founded in 1978, but never reached the level of success it enjoys today.
Simon Arora, a Cambridge law graduate, bought them in 2004 and it is now a huge chain worth billions. And – in a fun bit of trivia – it turns out that even he didn't know what the name stood for.
“Someone once told me it was obvious: it stands for 'Bargains and More,'” according to the McKinsey Alumni Center. He added: “That's good enough for me”
However, B&M previously confirmed that the name does indeed stand for Billington and Mayman. It seems customers are confused too.
On social media platform Some good stuff there. But what does B&M stand for?”
Another asked the store directly “what does B&M stand for” on its social media channel, while another added: “What does 'B&M' actually stand for?”.
Meanwhile, people are only just realizing it what M&M stands for. It's a sweet treat that's been around longer than you might think – and the name actually reflects its history.
M&M's are actually the flagship product of the Mars Wrigley Confectionery division of Mars, Incorporated and originated in America in 1941.
The concept was reportedly inspired by the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) to allow soldiers to transport chocolate in hot climates without it melting – which inspired the famous slogan “Melt in your mouth, not in your hand “, reports the Daily Star.
M&M's are made by Mars, Inc. – and so perhaps it is clear that at least one of the M's must stand for Mars.
And the other? It actually stands for Murrie – which means M&M's full name means Mars and Murrie.