Swindon service sees 11% increase as youngsters hand-deliver Christmas cards
Swindon Scouts have definitely been living up to the movement’s do your best motto by beating the Royal Mail strikes to deliver around 2,750 cards in and around the town.
Supported by Chris and Tracey Bryant, who sell the special Scout postage stamps at 35p through their Expressions indie card and gift shop in Swindon Old Town, the youngsters’ service is just half the cost of a 68p second class stamp and just over a third of first class at 95p.
“After checking stamps sold this year against 2021,” Chris told PG Buzz, “we’ve sold an extra 10% to 11% this year – last year’s total was 2,500.
“We also sell Royal Mail stamps as a service for our customers and, after a stocktake, it shows we’ve sold less this year. This suggests for local postings more customers have taken advantage of the Scout Post.”
This Scout Post service covers 34 areas around Swindon. Expressions has supported the initiative for many years with the stamped cards collected from the store and other special post boxes, then sorted for distribution to the Scout groups in each area to hand-deliver. All the money raised goes to the local groups, as well as covering the cost of insurance.
And with the service bringing customers into their store, Chris added: “We’ve been satisfied with Christmas trading. In cash and volume terms we’re on a par with 2021 trading which, given the economy, strikes and a very wet November, we are happy with.”
Top: The colourful hand-drawn stamps of Swindon’s Scout Post
