Community fun day marks official opening of major new-look Kempshott post office & store with longer hours

• Cllr Anne Court & customer Maureen Dowsett “cut” the ribbon
• Whole store refit
• Premises enlarged
• Post Office open seven days a week
• Convenient, quick service
• Car tax and a wider selection of on demand travel money added to the wide range of Post Office® services available
• Extra 40 hours per week
• Banking services for personal customers and small businesses
• Costa Coffee and bakery added
• New ATM
• Extra car parking

Kempshott councillor Anne Court & long-time customer Maureen Dowsett,  have “cut the ribbon” today (Saturday 1 April) to perform the official opening of Kempshott Post Office and Premier convenience store, which have undergone a major transformation.

The premises at 147 Pack Lane, Basingstoke, RG22 5HN, where the Post Office and store have operated for the past 80 years, has been extended, making Kempshott Post Office double the size. The whole premises has been modernised throughout and new electric doors have improved accessibility for customers.

A community fun day was organised by the family who have run Kempshott Post Office and convenience store for the past 20 years. There was a DJ, face painting, and lots of food tasting as the shop has increased its product range, including a fresh bakery and hot food section and Costa Coffee. There were goody bags for the first 200 customers and giveaways. There was also a raffle for a 32 inch television.

The popular store is run by Postmaster Pauline Mendez, her husband Robert McGregor and their two sons Brian and Darren McGregor.

Ward councillor Anne Court, said: “As a regular customer, I am delighted by all the changes made – it looks great. All the improvements have been a big talking point in the village. We really appreciate the changes that Pauline and her family have made. The longer Post Office opening hours are very handy.”

Post Office services are now provided from three modern counters – two full-screened and a Post Office service point alongside the retail counter.

The main counters are open Monday to Friday: 8am – 5.30pm; Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm. The till alongside the retail counter, offering selected items, is also available Monday to Sunday: 7am – 8pm. This is an extra 40 hours a week including all-day Sunday and Saturday afternoon. The branch also opens earlier and closes significantly later. These changes make it far more convenient for customers to visit.

Car tax and a wider selection of on-demand travel money have also been added to the wide range of Post Office services available. A new ATM has also been installed.

Robert McGregor: “The store is looking excellent. We are getting really good comments.  Customers love the modern, spacious look and extra products. The new bakery and Costa Coffee are proving very popular. We’ve already seen a big increase in sales. Customers are very pleased with the extra car parking and electric doors.

“The staff are delighted too, especially the ones in the Post Office, which is now much larger and spacious. Before the staff were “caged” in their small counters. They really like the open-plan counter, which make it much easier for staff and customers to have conversations.”

Sue Whittall, Post Office Area Manager, said: “We are making it easier for customers to get their cash, send and collect their mail and do their banking because we know how important these services are to local residents. We are confident that this vibrant new-style Post Office at the heart of the local community will meet customer needs. This modernisation is part of a major investment programme, the largest in the history of the Post Office and will secure services for the future.”

The changes are part of a major modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed to make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern open plan environments.

Customers can do everything from cash withdrawals from a Post Office Card Account, car tax renewal, send funds abroad using Moneygram, pay bills, buy holiday money, get insurance, mortgages, savings and top up mobile phones. Customers can access a wide range of Post Office and mails services, including international parcels, Special Delivery, Local Collect and home shopping returns. As the traditional banking network declines, customers for the majority (99%) of UK banks can use their post office for online banking cash deposits and withdrawals and bill payments.

Ends

Issued by:

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LONDON, EC2Y 9AQ

Tel: 07436 038445 or 020 7012 3456 (24 hours),

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Notes to editors

In 2012 we announced an investment of £1.34bn for the Post Office network to undertake a transformation programme across 6000 branches.   In November 2013 the Government announced a further £640m investment in the Post Office network: as well as allowing us to modernise a further 2000 branches this funding also allows us to invest £20 million in around 3400 community branches, which are often the last shop in the village.

With over 11,600 branches, the Post Office network is the biggest retail network in the UK, with more branches than all the banks and building societies combined. 97% of Post Office branches are run with retail partners on an agency or franchise basis.

The Post Office provides services central to peoples’ everyday lives; 99.7% of the population lives within 3 miles of a Post Office.

We offer the UK’s largest fee free cash withdrawal network through our 11,600 branches and an additional 2,500 cash machines and 99 per cent of UK bank customers can access their accounts at the Post Office. We sell 170 different products and services spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards; Government services; telephony; foreign currency; travel insurance and mail services.

Post Offices branches remain highly valued and trusted, and are the focal point of many communities. For more information, visit www.postoffice.co.uk and to find out about a Post Office business opportunities visit www.runapostoffice.co.uk