14-Jul-08
GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR NEWSAGENTS IN HOME DELIVERY ROW
A glimmer of hope has been given to Northern Ireland retailers facing the loss of their home delivery service as a result of plans by the Belfast Telegraph to launch its own direct-to-consumer delivery scheme.
After several meetings with the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN), the trade association which represents the interests of independent newsagents and convenience stores, the publisher this week announced that it was prepared to set up a joint working party with the NFRN to explore ways in which both parties could work together to provide an effective home delivery service to customers.
It is hoped that the first meeting could take place in early August.
Commenting on the development, NFRN National President Naresh Purohit said: “We are happy that progress appears to have been made and that the Belfast Telegraph is prepared to sit down with us to discuss our concerns and to see how we can move forward together.”
Northern Ireland’s largest publisher caused outrage last month when it advised newsagents that their home news delivery business was to be removed in favour of the publisher’s own direct to consumer delivery service.
The NFRN appealed to the publisher to reconsider, warning that the removal of the home delivered copy from small newsagents could cause many to close, affecting both the local community and employment.
Some retailers had threatened to stop selling the paper completely if the publisher pursued its direct delivery scheme.
- Author:
- Anne Bingham
- Publisher:
- National Federation of Retail Newsagents
- Date:
- 14-Jul-08
- Categories:
- Sections:
- News
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