Leamington post office to relocate just before Christmas

Leamington’s main post office is relocating to a supermarket in Old Town in the week before Christmas.



The current post office in Priory Terrace, which is managed as an independent franchise, is closing and the service - along with all its employees - will re-open inside the Spar shop in Bath Street.

Margaret and David Ingham, who own the Spar shop, told the Courier that the office would continue to have as many counters as it currently has - with the addition of new ‘conversation rooms’ for customers wishing to discuss post office mortgages and other financial issues.

There would also be a ‘combination counter’, which will allow people to access post office services during all hours the shop is open (until 10pm Sunday to Thursday and until 11pm Friday and Saturday), which includes Sundays and bank holidays.

Mrs Ingham said: “We have spent the last two years trying to bring this shop back into the right century.

“We have carved out a niche for something a bit different and we’ve just opened an in-store butcher’s counter, which puts us on the map as there isn’t another one at this end of town.

“The sustainability of post offices is not strong these days. It’s difficult for them to make money, so partnering with another business is the way forward.”

This is not the first time Spar has absorbed a post office, with similar arrangements having been put into place across the country, including in Ettington near Kineton.

Mrs Ingham said that her business now uses the same greetings cards supplier as the Leamington post office so the products sold at the post office card shop will also be available in her shop.

She said: “The post office was becoming unviable so it makes sense for them to move to an existing business. Suddenly it becomes viable again.”

Work has now begun on building the new post office in the Spar shop and it is due to open on December 16.