'Desperate' final effort to prevent PO closure in Lincoln

[TrueBlueTerrier]

'Desperate' final effort to prevent post office closure in Lincoln

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Des ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A shopkeeper says competition from Asda is forcing him to cut his business premises in half.

Ian Fox, 52, sub-postmaster at Oval Post Office and News in Nettleham Fields, Lincoln, has given himself a year to turn around his fortunes – or he will throw in the towel.

This time last year, Mr Fox lost his campaign to stop a new proposed Asda selling National Lottery tickets.

He says that since the supermarket opened in June, his lottery sales have plummeted by 40 per cent, while cash machine usage is down 60 per cent.

"The drop in footfall generated by the two combined has seen the newsagent side of the business lose more than £10,000 on the previous year's figures," said Mr Fox, whose Post Office was raided in July and an entire safe full of cash hauled into the street.

"For a small independent outlet that is a huge loss of revenue.

"The result is that we have to make one last, desperate bid to keep the Post Office open by losing half of our current premises in a bid to remain viable.

"The refit is costing £24,000 and it's the last chance saloon.

"If it doesn't work then that's it, I will be gone in 12 months.

"This is a final attempt to keep alive the business and therefore maintain a Post Office service to the whole community. Six staff work here and their jobs are safe for the time being.

"There was one redundancy last December due to the slight downturn.

"For me, having a supermarket here shouldn't make a lot of difference.

"We don't do what they do – but they do everything we do."

Customer Douglas Law, 76, a retired carpet fitter, of Ermine East, Lincoln, said: "I have always thought the little traders were being done out of business by these big shops because the little ones can't buy things as cheaply," he said.

"It seems like it's everyone for themselves. I don't know if it is fair competition from Asda."

Shopper Naomi Clarke, 25, of Ermine West, said she felt such competition is fair.

"In any business there will always be competition," she said.

Asda spokesman Clair Hufton said: "While there is a small amount of overlap with the post office, there are clearly lots of products and services they offer, that we don't."

The Post Office will be closed for one week from March 23 but it will be business as usual for the newsagent.

The new-look shop will be re-launched on April 2.