Post office suggestion.

Hi,

Our local post office ceased trading just before Christmas meaning a five mile round trip to our nearest post office.

I've emailed Morrisons Supermarkets this morning suggesting they open a post office in their stores; I was amazed by the quick response this being a phone call thanking me for my email saying my suggestion has been put forward and will be looked into.

I don't know of any supermarket having a post office within their store? It was just an idea so I thought I'd pass the idea on; if I have a problem I like to find a solution; I'll be interested to see if this catches on?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Nothing like taking the bull by the horns, @Colin!

Our post office is 6 miles away, but the one in the next town is only 1 mile, so I use that one.

 

A post office in a grocery store

Must be a UK thing

BTW, I'm also confused on the context in which you use the word, "trading".

 

I think that is a great idea. It would eliminate any upkeep of a building for the post office. Grocery stores already have receiving areas for trucks and a Post Office would mean increased traffic through the stores doors. Because it is such a good idea and could save money, it will never happen in the United States.

 

I have seen, when younger, post offices in stores, also there are still some stores that can sell you postage stamps. But we have several delivery ports to go to around me. Besides the post office, there is the UPS place, and then a thing called "Mail and More" they offer, UPS, Federal Express and Post Office in one place.

But while we are on the subject of mailing things, seems that Europe does not have "book rate" . A cheaper rate if its books mailed places, in the USA we do. Have had to mail a few items oversees, one of which is considered "books".

 

had to think of this with the subject . https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14154

 

Hi,

Thanks zigs; yes we too have a post office in a general store/off licence ours at Grange Moor but I don't recall ever seeing a post office in a supermarket or have I missed something? I don't visit Tesco; Sainsbury's or Asda so I'm unfamiliar with what services these supermarkets offer?

Sorry if I've confused you roadrunner; "ceased trading" is a common term for yet another business closing down; our local post office also sold gifts like jewelry; greetings cards and handbags etc.

Thanks Silentrunning. I don't want local post offices to close but unfortunately we no longer have our local post office whereas if our local supermarket opened a post office instore it would be very convenient indeed and as you rightly say the infrastructure is already in place also our local Morrison's has far better car parking than any nearby post office.

Thanks Esther; yes our supermarkets also sell stamps and our local Morrison's has even a post box located in store. Many thanks for adding the link to the smallest post office which is interesting. One of our small local stores has "My Hermes" where parcels can be dropped off and I've used this service a number of times in fact My Hermes will also collect parcels from our home.

A major problem I find with our post office is the way they now accept envelopes; I need a micrometer to measure thickness and a tape measure to determine size whilst I also need a set of weighing scales; then of course comes both first and second class post which truly baffles me. Second class means the post office hanging onto mail rather than simply getting rid of it as quickly as they can; I was in distribution for 24 years and my job was to despatch goods as fast as I possibly could not play around hanging onto goods? Bron's hobby is card making so when I post these cards for Bron I hand them over the counter at a post office to have them weighed and checked for both thickness and size; modern life is so complicated for dinosaurs such as I?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

A lot of villages have grocery stores incorporating the post offices in this country. When you buy milk, you post your letters .. That's how it goes here!

 

Hi Colin
We have a post office not far away in Asda at Cramlington which is always very busy as its a shopping centre as well.
Opening Hours of Post Office Cramlington - Cramlington (Northumberland), Cramlington Asda Superstore, Manor Walk Shopping Centre, Cramlington.

 

I can buy stamps at our local grocery, but to mail anything I have to visit our local post office. Since the town nearest us is also the county seat, we are unlikely to lose postal service. Our rural carrier will pull into the driveway if she has a package for us, ring our doorbell, and hand us our our package.
Our local post office is so tuned into patron's needs. When we were getting new queen bees through the post, they called at 6 a.m. to let me know the buzzing package arrived and I could pick it up at the back door since they weren't officially open until 8 a.m. I don't know if that was customer consideration, or just wanting to get rid of a buzzing package!

 

Hi,

Thanks for your information Zenj. It's years since I visited an Asda supermarket but I'm unsure if they had a post office or indeed have a post office now; Asda though did have a pharmacy; opticians and photo lab.

Your postal service sounds first class marlingardner; I'm not sure if our postal service would touch anything alive but I could be wrong in fact there are restrictions on items we can post; being the UK government thankfully the list is short as seen here;

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/contents

Here's the shorter list;

https://www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/uk-what-can-i-send

We can usually hear our regular postman before we see him; he arrives on the street with his mobile phone blaring out on speaker.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Colin: it's a good idea to suggest a clean and beautiful shop which cheers you up to the post office headquarters.

 

A lot of our Shoppers Drug Marts have post offices. 1 kilometer is the furthest I have to go.

 

Hi,

A small world indeed Ian. I used to despatch many electric motors to a company in Cramlington and we have vintage radio friends up there as well.

http://www.openinghourspostoffice.c...n (Northumberland)/NE23 6RZ/Cramlington/17792

When I started this thread I hadn't a clue any of the big supermarkets had a post office but a quick browse shows Asda has a number of post offices so my idea isn't unique after all but I do hope our local Morrison's will open a post office in the near future.

What a great forum; I'm sure it can compete with Wiki for information?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

It is a small world although I lived in Cramlington for a good while and lived in the North East for 45 years, now just down the road from Cramlington in Wideopen . Noticed Colin lives in Huddersfield , I supported Huddersfield Town in my teens no dought Colin remembers Batley variety club and Wakefield theatre club had some great nights at both Born in Batley .

 

Colin, our postmistress told me about a rooster that was shipped to a local farmer. The rooster would not shut up, and the postal employees had to put up with his incessant crowing until the farmer came in mid-afternoon to pick him up. Our rural post offices have a lot of interesting tales to tell!
I take a big plate of cookies to them around Christmas time--they have a heavier work load then, and are still recovering from the rooster incident.

 

Hi,

Thanks Zenj; yes what memories; Batley Variety Club used to have all the top performers on stage in its day and the building still remains but I'm unsure what it's called these days; it's over 40 years ago I was in there the last time it being Engelbert Humperdinck on stage. I was always a bit out of place not being a drinker so I was sober watching the idiots make a fool of themselves; I was useful though acting as taxi driver. I didn't bother with Wakefield Theatre Club though. I lived with my parents in Middlestown at the time then I married Bron and gained a brilliant loving wife plus a great deal of common sense.

What a lovely story marlingardener; thanks for sharing. The postal workers must have a lot more patience than I have though; I'd have slapped a gagging order on the rooster in the form of two hands placed very tightly around its neck.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi Colin
For me The Bachelors and Cloda Rodgers Charlie Williams and the Barron Knights . queued all day for my boss tickets for Shirley Bassey happy days.