advice centre
POL00053935
POL00053935
opacni
Difference - Locally charities,
and was very recently elected to
the Nisa-Today’s board.
Despite all, he has agreed to
visit our retailer’s store and will
report back, I'll bet there area lot
of post offices out there that
could do with some guidance.
—
‘Remember thase horrendous .
floods in 2007? {-
Office in Toll Bar, Doncaster, will
never be able to forget. During
that drenching summer their
store was ruined.
Nine months later, during
ration for re-opening,
kontacted Camelot to ask if
it was possible to have a terminal.
‘They had previously sold
‘scratchcards and had been told
that they had one of the highest
sales for that size of post office.
Her request, however, was
refused, she thinks on the basis
that the area was sufficiently
covered, She says: “Imagine my
surprise, anger and disgust when
I passed a store, which is around
nine-tenths of a mile from my
66 Remember
those horrendous
floods in 2007?
Jenny and John
Jackson who run
Toll Bar Post
Office, Doncaster,
will never to able
to forget. During
that drenching
summer their
store was
ruined 99
store and only two-tenths ofa
mile froma store already with
lottery, and had now been given a
terminal. I think Ihave been.
discriminated against.”
She set out her points in a
letter to Camelot and has sent me
the company’s reply. It says it has
reviewed her enquiry carefully in
order to respond properly. But in
the end it reverts to its party line
that “each selection is made using
awide-ranging list of criteria
demographic; density of
population; footfall; and sales,
among others”,
‘It cannot be that her shop is
not good enough. She is short-
listed as one of nine regional
winners in the:
‘Landmark/Lifestyle National
Retailer ofthe year competition.
opportunity to knock walls down
and moderhise the store/post
office. Prior to the flood we were
receiving deliveries from
Blakemore, but not as a member
of the symbol group Lifestyle
Express. As part of our plans to
reopen bigger, brighter, better’,
we thought the business needed
the professional image ofa
symbol group. Lifestyle Express
came top as far as we were
Spots ata the vay do businessin
SG ea
concerned, Landmark/Lifestyle
did help a lotin preparation for
the opening. They advised on
shop layout, merchandised stock,
fitted window vinyls and signage.
‘They also supported and helped
with our grand re-opening day,
in providing raffle prizes,
samples and tastings.”
Twonder if she'll have any luck
ifRichard Branson winds up as
major Camelot shareholder @s
rumoured)? There is an 80%
stake up for sale.
a
over Horizon’sIT
‘There is just room here to report
that Computer Weekly, which has
been closely following the
problems subpostmasters claim to
be suffering over their Horizon
accounting system, says that “a
sub-postmistress accused of theft
from the Post Office has had her
case postponed to allow experts
time to investigate the accounting
IT'system ather branch”,
‘The report adds: “Seema
Misra, postmistress at the West
Byfleet Post Office in Surrey, is
accused of one count of theft of
£74,000. She claims the IT
system may have caused the
account deficit.” .
14I Convenience StoreI January 8 2010
www.thegrocer.couk/independents