PayPoint has been busy with a raft of initiatives to support local retailers in Scotland who have continued to serve their communities over the past few months.
The implementation of a nationwide lockdown saw key workers lauded for their bravery, selflessness and hard work. Convenience retailers are an often-overlooked group within this demographic, which is why PayPoint recently announced a raft of initiatives to support those who have continued to serve their communities over the past two months.
The measures include: a £25,000 contribution to the NFRN Covid-19 Hardship Fund, fee increase waivers, service fee changes, a new partnership with Deliveroo and a campaign to celebrate Retail Heroes.
The NFRN Covid-19 Hardship Fund offers financial assistance to members struggling with cash flow during the coronavirus pandemic. The fund has raised more than £200,000 to date and PayPoint is proud to contribute a further £25,000.
PayPoint is also introducing changes to its service fees and billing process. The first component of this is waiving the yearly inflation increase to service fees, which will remain consistent with last year’s amounts. This will be coupled with a permanent move to service fee billing in arrears, benefitting retailers’ monthly cash flows, and the option for those who had to close their stores to claim a service fee refund for the closure period.
A new partnership with Deliveroo has brought with it added benefits for retailers. The collaboration allows retailers to apply for fast-track access to the Deliveroo system so members of the local community can order products to be delivered contact-free in as little as 30 minutes. The partnership has unsurprisingly proven popular with consumers and retailers alike, opening a channel for those self-isolating to get access to the items they really need right now.
Finally, to recognise and reward individual retailers, PayPoint’s Retail Heroes campaign was launched at the start of May. It recognises those in the PayPoint network that have gone ‘above and beyond’ to serve their local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The winning retailers will be showcased across PayPoint’s social media channels, and will receive a certificate and a £500 donation to a charity of their choice.
We are delighted that the first winner is a Scottish retailer. Amothen Kandasamy, who runs five convenience stores across Aberdeen, has been operating regular trading hours during the pandemic. Not only does Amothen help regular customers and those in need with free items such as hand sanitiser, bread and milk, he goes to even greater lengths to assist vulnerable people in his community. Once he closes his stores at 11pm he then makes 40-50 free-of-charge deliveries of essential items to the elderly, finishing work between 3am and 4am each night.
On behalf of communities everywhere, we want to say a massive thank you to Scottish local retailers. If you would like to read about more Retail Heroes, please visit paypoint.com/retailheroes.
