Mayor of Bromley Cllr David Jefferys and Mayoress Ann-Marie Jefferys “cut the ribbon” at the official opening of new Southborough Lane Post Office at a community celebration with free refreshments.
Experienced Postmaster Chirag Patel has added a Post Office to Bickley Food & Wine, 191 Southborough Lane, Bromley, BR2 8AR, which he has run since 2013. His brother-in-law, Mitul Shah, is manager at Southborough Lane Post Office. Chirag and his wife, Karishma, will split their time between here and their other Post Office and store in Tadworth, Surrey.
Since February, Bickley Food & Wine had been a Post Office Drop & Collect store. However, now it has become a modern, local style Post Office offering additional post office services at this location to replace Chatterton Road branch which recently closed due to the resignation of the operator.
One big advantage of this new location is that there is free parking for the parade of shops where it is based.
Mayor of Bromley, Cllr David Jefferys, said: “This service is a welcome addition to the local parade and to the borough, which I’m sure will provide a range of important and convenient services to nearby residents. Congratulations and best of luck to all involved. It was lovely to see the local excitement around the opening, which I hope is the first of many new businesses I will welcome to the borough as Mayor.”
There are two Post Office counters: one open plan and a Post Office serving point, which are alongside the retail counter of the convenience store.
The new opening hours are Monday to Saturday: 7am – 7pm; Sunday: 7am – 1pm.
This provides 78 hours of Post Office service a week for the convenience of customers. This is an extra 14 hours and 30 minutes per week than had been provided, including Sunday morning, earlier opening and later closing.
A similar range of products and services are available, however, excluding Passport Check & Send and On Demand Travel Money.
Postmaster Chirag Patel said: “Customers are delighted to have a Post Office offering many different Post Office services within my convenience store. I am looking forward to serving lots of new customers and I know lots of other retailers in this parade are really glad that the branch here as it will attract lots more shoppers to our lovely parade.
“Not many Post Offices in the area can say that they have free parking outside, but I can. That makes it very convenient for people trying to do their personal and business banking, posting parcels or bringing back their home shopping returns. We offer Royal Mail and Evri courier services.
“As we are open daily it’s easy for people who work or study full-time to pop in. Many people like to have their purchases delivered here with click and collect, including Amazon, as they know that their parcel will be safely stored here for collection at a time that suits them.
Noah Rai, Post Office Network Provision Lead, said: “We are delighted to have opened a Post Office here as it is open daily, has convenient opening hours, and free parking making it easy for customers to visit.”