Celebrations as new Post Office opens in Horsham store

The Londis Caterways store, in Caterways, Horsham, has undergone a major refit which has seen the shop completely transformed and new services added including the areas first Post Office.

The store has been taken over by the Shingadia family who own the award winning Londis store in Southwater.

On Thursday (December 3) they welcomed down some very special guests to mark the shops re-opening.

As well as the opening there was an extra celebration as the Post Office hit a very special milestone.

The new modern Post Office, located inside the store, is the company’s 5,000 to be opened as part of a £2b government funded project.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Intellectual Property, popped down and cut the ribbon to mark the occasion.

She said: “The Government is helping Post Office to modernise its network, bringing about benefits for customers and postmasters while securing its future.

“We have invested nearly £2 billion to sustain and transform the network and I am pleased to open this branch, particularly to celebrate reaching the 5,000 modernised post offices milestone.”

The new Caterways Post Office is a new style branch with a low-screened, open-plan service point integrated into the retail counter, which can offer a wide range of Post Office transactions alongside retail purchases.

Amish Shingadia, manger of the new store, said: “I am delighted to open a Post Office at my Caterways store. It is a marriage made in heaven having a Post Office and convenience store combined.

“My existing customers and the whole community were thrilled to hear the news they were getting a Post Office. It will make their lives much easier having a Post Office which is open seven days a week from early until late, with lots of free parking.

“The new branch removes the need for customers to travel into town to do most of their Post Office transactions.

The new Caterways Post Office will be open from Monday to Sunday from 6.30am until 10pm.

But it is not just the new Post Office service which has been added to the store.

It has increased it’s fresh range, brought in a new Costa coffee machine and added an in-store bakery.

Co-owner Ramesh Shingadia said: “I am really excited about opening the doors of our new Londis Caterways, we’re proud of the store and delighted to be bringing a Post Office to the area for the first time. Of course, it’s also a real honour to be opening the 5,000th modern branch too.”

Although the store opened on Thursday it will be hosting an official opening party on Saturday December 5.

The first 50 customers through the door will receive a goody bag and there will also be family activities held throughout the day as well as food tasting and face painting.

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