Jeremy Dore has run Hingham Post Office a few miles outside of Norwich for some 29 years, but is soon to retire, turning the store back into a residence (worth more that way) and selling up all his ‘bits and pieces’.
He does Sunday papers and wondered whether they ‘had a value’ - something he could flog to a nearby retailer who does dailies, but not Sundays.
I spoke to Menzies and spokesman Dave Shedden said: “There is nothing which prevents any two retailers from selling Sunday papers, irrespective of how close together they are. Any other retailer who approaches Menzies Distribution and asks to be supplied with Sundays will go through our standard application process.”
He points out that there is a recognised value for an existing set of HND rounds. That is because the retailer holds something which is not readily available, ie information on his HND customers and their existing consent to purchase newspapers from him. Sadly, Jeremy doesn’t do rounds.
New Sunday stockists will also be expected to make a deposit, although customers who have traded with Menzies for long enough to have their deposit refunded would not be expected to make a further deposit if they take on Sunday supplies.
