Newsagents blame late deliveries for sales slump
Cornershop newsagents say their sales are taking a hammering because of haphazard and late delivery of their daily papers by national distribution company Menzies.
The firm’s Larkfield distribution depot in New Hythe Lane is reportedly having trouble retaining delivery drivers, which is resulting in local newsagents failing to get their papers on time.
Drivers, who are members of Unite union, have also been working to rule since August 8 in a dispute over pay.
Menzies imposed a new pay deal in April, which saw the drivers’ hourly rate rise to £7.25 an hour – 5p over the minimum wage. But at the same time the company declared it would no longer pay double time or give time off in lieu for working bank holidays.
Tovil post office and super store in Church Street, Tovil, is one of those that has been affected.
Instead of papers arriving for the shop’s opening at 6.30am, they have been delivered at 7am, 9am, 10am – and not until 11.45am on Tuesday this week.
Eighty-four-year-old Ronald Ingram, from Bridgemill Way, Tovil, is one customer who has been inconvenienced.
He said: “I usually come along for my Daily Mirror at about 7.15am, but yesterday I had to come back three times and still there were no papers.”
The late arrival has been affecting home deliveries, too, because stores have not had papers to give their paper-boys before they go to school.
In Aylesford, the Premier Store in Premier Parade has been experiencing the same problems.
Premier customer John Foster said: “Menzies are clearly having problems, but they are looking after Sainsbury and Tesco all right.
“It’s the small shops that are suffering. It’s so unfair because of course people don’t just buy a newspaper, they pick up other items while they are there.
“If they start going to the supermarkets to get their paper, the stores’ other sales will suffer, too.”
Unite members have already voted to escalate their industrial action to an outright strike, and an announcement on that is expected next week.
Menzies was invited to comment but chose not to.