Community retailers are tearing to the rescue of flailing local post offices by boosting franchise partnerships and in-store operations.
Spar Scotland wholesaler CJ Lang said it wanted to be the saviour of the local post office as it revealed plans to open a further six in its Spar stores over the coming weeks, bringing the number of post offices in its retail estate to 94.
The Midlands Co-op has also put its weight behind a similar move, announcing that it has invested more than £200,000 in two new post offices in Northamptonshire.
The developments come as Post Office boss Adam Crozier this week announced plans to axe more than 10,000 unprofitable post offices over the next four years.
Crozier said he needed just 4,000 to run a national mail service and warned that the remaining 10,500 serving poor and rural communities might have to go by 2010.
Archie Gilchrist, corporate affairs director at CJ Lang, said: “We would like to be seen as knights in shining armour for local post offices and, wherever possible, will try to incorporate them into our operation.”
A spokeswoman for Midlands Co-op added: “We have no plans to cease trading any of the post offices that we operate.”
Gaelle Walker