An official opening was held on Friday at Plaza News which is now in its new premises in Wester Hailes.
The hardware and convenience store with integral Post Office has been run by father and son duo, Mohammed and Amir Arshad, for 16 years but it has now moved into a new location on the Upper Ground level at Westside Plaza.
The Post Office franchised the business – previously a Directly Managed branch – to the two postmasters as part of their commitment to a “New Deal for Postmasters”. The deal includes better remuneration for those running the business.
The Wester Hailes branch is the first of 108 directly managed branches to relocate – although it lies within the same shopping centre which has a large car park adjacent to it.
The post office has two open plan serving positions added to the line of retail counters in the store which has wide aisles for people with accessibility needs.
Postmaster Aamir Arshad said: “Our existing customers were really pleased that we were taking on Wester Hailes Post Office under one roof. We have had lots of people saying that they are very grateful that the branch is here and we have also had thank you cards. People are happy with the spacious layout in the aisles, so there is room for someone in a wheelchair and a pushchair to pass side by side.
“We are also seeing lots of new customers who we had not seen before, who have also been impressed with our existing retail offer in our hardware and convenience store, so those sales have increased too. We are giving everyone a warm welcome. People are surprised to hear about my previous experience of running a branch. I was only young when I started with my Dad. Now my 20-year-old brother Adam, has just joined us too, so he is about my age when I started. He’s taken to it really well. Extra staff are also being Post Office trained ready for the really busy Christmas period.”
Opening hours are: Monday – Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm. This is an extra 5 hours and 30 minutes of Post Office service a week including Saturday afternoon and earlier opening on a Tuesday morning, making it more convenient for customers to visit.
Dr Scott Arthur MP for Edinburgh South West carried out the official ribbon cutting. He said: “I want to thank Mohammed and Aamir Arshad for taking on Wester Hailes Post Office inside their well-established store, close to the previous branch, meaning customers are already familiar with the shopping centre, parking and bus routes.
”This Post Office fits in well with the store design. The layout is spacious and accessible, and with Mohammed and Aamir’s experience running a previous Post Office, they’ve hit the ground running.”
The post office offers the same range of Post Office services – an internal ATM, Royal Mail, Parcelforce, DPD and Evri services. As well as personal and business banking, there are facilities to pay bills, exchange currencies, check and send passports, vehicle ID verification services and Western Union money transfers.
Dr Scott Arthur does the honours cutting the ribbon
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