Collect+ Does anyone know if the shop benefits directly?

vacheron

Hi all.

Since Royal Mail recently assured their quest for obsolescence with their obscene "medium packet" charges, meaning an item I used to send for £6.80 first class will now cost me over £15.00. I have swiched exclusicely to Collect+ (save anything that will fit through a postbox slot).

This means I have recently became well aquainted with the owner of a corner shop close to my work who offers the service and I pop in about 2-3 times a week to drop off a couple of reasonably large (45x20x20cm), 3kg packages each time.

I must have sent 20 items in the last 3 weeks and every one has arrived bang on time with no problems at all, so I am very keen to keep using it.

As I am on my way home and the shop is not local to me, I don't do any shopping here so he does not benefit from any additional trade. I just drop my parcels and b**ger off! However each time I do I feel a little guilty that I am not bringing him any extra custom.

Could anyone tell me if I am doing this guy a favour by dropping all my parcels there, or is the main incentive of offering the collect+ service the hope of increased custom from the rest of the shop and should I pick up a few provisions I don't "really" need while I am there?

porto_bello

I don't know the details, but clearly there must be a financial incentive/reward, otherwise it would be an unwanted extra headache, without any gain.

Probably it works along the lines of the National lottery, whereby the shop earns a small commission for every sale.

soolin

I assume there must be an incentive to do it. However, most of my local Collect Plus shops have gone now- I don't think they paid them enough to cope with all the very cross users.

verybigchris

According to the PayPoint website the shop gets 35p per parcel.

Obviously_the_best

They get paid a small amount, but the main incentive is additional trade.

soba

Additional footfall is the selling point for shops. Out of the 35p per parcel they get they might have to pay for extra insurance, staff training and somewhere to store the parcels.
Not forgetting that they may lose other customers who don't want to wait behind someone who's dropping off a load of parcels.
It's a very small payment for the work involved - try buying a bottle of milk or a newspaper to make it worth their while.

RFW

soba wrote: »

It's a very small payment for the work involved - try buying a bottle of milk or a newspaper to make it worth their while.

or something that carries a good profit for them!

ballisticbrian

Do they sell Razzle?

Goldiegirl

I've just started sending a couple of Collect Plus parcels.

Each time I've dropped off a parcel I've bought my TV magazine there - it seemed polite to buy something while I was there

vacheron

Thanks everyone for the responses, and to verybigchris for finding the amount which I didn't manage to uncover myself.

Two more packages to drop in today so perhaps I'll go at lunchtime and buy my lunch there too.

soba

RFW wrote: »

or something that carries a good profit for them!

Ok then - pies, sandwiches or sweets - IIRC:)