UK Post offices face rebrand burden
Post office staff are preparing for a fight with Royal Mail group after being told individual branches will have to pay to smarten up their image.
In an attempt to make the loss-making network profitable, David Mills, chief executive of the Post Office, a subsidiary of Royal Mail group, is planning to rebrand the post offices, including smartening up premises, introducing new uniforms and rolling out personal loans and credit cards.
However, sub-postmasters have been told they will need to improve their image at their own cost.
“To compete with the banks and building societies head on we have to change the physical environment that we work in, and our staff will have to step up to the mark,” said Mr Mills.
“We’re not going to give business to those branches that are shabby. If they want to get the business they are going to have to make changes for themselves.”
Sub-postmasters’ leaders support the plan to modernise their premises, but are concerned about cost.
“We welcome the package of new services going into the Post Office but it has to be recognised that sub-postmasters themselves need to receive adequate remuneration in terms of the costs they incur in order to modernise,” said Marilyn Stoddart, assistant general secretary of the National Federation of Sub-postmasters. “We’ve got real concerns over the financing of this arrangement.”
Some sub-postmasters have already renovated their premises, creating “combi-stores”, a mix of convenience store and post office in a modern retail environment, such as in Westminster Bridge Road, London.
Mr Mills said: “This is what we’re looking for – post office branches that offer services in the way that supermarkets do but that are more accessible, offer a personal touch and are backed with a real community brand.”
