Archive of all Post Office articles – Page 14

  • News

    Community project faces tougher times

    2005-10-22T00:00:00Z

    It’s six years since Rusper Village Stores in Rusper, West Sussex, reopened as the second community-owned retailing project. The site has quite a pedigree, having been the location of a village store for more than 100 years.The relaunch of the...

  • News

    ‘Red tape threatening to tie us up in knots’

    2005-09-17T00:00:00Z

    Like many independent retailers, David Standing, joint owner and manager of Weston Post Office & Stores in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, with his wife Mae, is struggling with red tape.In particular, the new licensing laws and waste regulations...

  • News

    On the cards

    2005-09-17T00:00:00Z

    It’s here – the UK’s first prepaid card with chip and PIN, says Liz HamsonNext week sees the official launch of a new prepaid card aimed at immigrants and the so-called ‘unbanked’ community. The cashplus-badged MasterCard, the first...

  • News

    Asda top of class

    2005-09-03T00:00:00Z

    The supermarkets have beaten the high street in this year’s back-to-school battle – and Asda George has come top of the class, reveals a consumer survey carried out for The Grocer.In the survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive, 41% of...

  • News

    Two thirds of Budgens sold

    2005-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Musgrave has already found buyers for two thirds of the 155-store Budgens portfolio it is looking to divest.The company, which has a four-year plan to get out of retailing and act as a wholesaler for the fascia, has told The Grocer that as...

  • News

    Tesco top of personal finance market

    2005-08-01T08:22:00Z

    Tesco is the top new entrant in the personal finance market, a Mintel report will show today.The report, Non-Traditional Providers in Financial Services, found that Tesco Personal Finance has won 4.6 million customer accounts since it...

  • News

    Dangers of multiples’ stranglehold

    2005-07-23T00:00:00Z

    from Nigel Dowdney, c-store manager, Stalham, NorfolkSir; A report in the Eastern Daily Press detailed the detrimental effect of the building of a Tesco in Stalham. It focuses on the demise of two shops in nearby Hickling because of...

  • News

    Retailers hail PO’s decision on ATMs

    2005-07-23T00:00:00Z

    Independent retailers have welcomed Post Office plans to scrap fee-paying cash machines, and offer sub-postmasters more choice over providers. Precisely how many independent retailers will benefit and how contracts with other machine providers...

  • News

    Frequent innovation helps drive business

    2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

    Manny Hussain has spent 35 years working in the independent retail sector. During that time, he has managed three stores, most recently a shop in Newarthill, Lanarkshire. He took that over five years ago and has invested £500,000 into it,...

  • News

    Science skills shortage action

    2005-07-02T00:00:00Z

    A government quango has launched an urgent plan to redress an acute shortage of scientists and technologists working in food and drink.Improve – the food and drink sector skills council – is heading a top-level working party to find out the...

  • News

    Morrisons under pressure

    2005-06-18T00:00:00Z

    Investors in Morrisons have called on the retailer’s board not to let short-term problems get in the way of much-needed corporate governance reforms.David Somerlinck, of City investors Pension Investment Research Consultants, said: “There still...

  • News

    The case for the defence

    2005-06-04T00:00:00Z

    With the row over PayPoint margins raging again, chief executive Dominic Taylor argues that it does pay. Simon Mowbray reportsIt’s probably fair to assume that the news pages of The Grocer have not made the most pleasant of reading...

  • News

    Payzone provider names MD for its UK business

    2005-06-04T00:00:00Z

    Payzone provider Alphyra Group has appointed Rupert Lowery as managing director of its UK business.Lowery was previously MD of e-top-up provider PostTS, which was acquired by Alphyra Group in March this year.He has also held positions at...

  • News

    PO must ‘give more’

    2005-05-28T00:00:00Z

    The Grocer’s Top 50 independent retailers are calling for the Post Office to improve its commercial terms and services, but say they still broadly back it as an organisation.Almost three quarters of those polled in our reader panel said stores...

  • News

    Not happy with terminals

    2005-05-21T00:00:00Z

    More than three quarters of independent retailers with either PayPoint or Payzone terminals in their stores are not happy with the margins and terms offered.Findings from our exclusive reader panel survey support the view that the row between...

  • News

    PayPoint star in rebellion

    2005-05-07T00:00:00Z

    One of PayPoint’s award-winning retailers is threatening to chuck out his terminal because of the service’s poor margins.Ushi Vithani, owner and manager of The Front Page, a CTN store in Thamesmead, South London, has dealt with PayPoint, the...

  • News

    Village shop evolves to meet local needs

    2005-03-19T00:00:00Z

    Julie Sanderson has seen a great many changes to the community store she manages in Freuchie, Scotland, over the past 18 months.The latest was the electronic point-of-sale system that was installed earlier this month, to which staff are still...

  • News

    Couple bid farewell to a life in retirement

    2005-02-19T00:00:00Z

    Retirement is proving to be a hectic time of life for Alec Gardner and his wife, Lyn. Not only have they set up shop again, but the couple have just picked up Budgens Shop of the Year award.After 35 years of running CTN stores in London’s East...

  • News

    Review of 2004

    2005-01-18T11:37:00Z

    January Big Food Group meets Londis’s advisors, KPMG, to discuss a bid. BFG announces departure of Iceland MD Mike Coupe. Tesco stuns convenience world by buying Adminstore. The City raises concerns about Morrisons’ ability to integrate...

  • News

    Post office is strangling enterprise

    2004-12-18T00:00:00Z

    from an independent retailer, name and address suppliedSir; My shop is situated in a rural area of Scotland. The next nearest shop and bank are well over 10 miles away. The shop is open at least 51 hours a week, but when I took it...