Not that the post office was actually under threat. Its current franchisee—who bought the business in 2008—has it on the market and the worst that could've happened was it might've moved a little. A corner of the Station Road Co-operative would have been an ideal spot: we no longer need large premises for the post office; it would increase footfall at the Co-op; and it would have by its side a large, free car park. And, at the turn of the century, before moving to the current position, the post office was in the building currently occupied by Siop Nain.
But a move such as this would bring with it drawbacks:
- What do you do with an empty post office building that's in a conservation area and which could not easily be converted to a shop, especially regarding display windows and
- How would the loss of a post office on the Square affect trade at the very hub of the town.
It may be apocryphal but, after his election, Hilditch-Roberts is reported to have boasted that he was the only person within Denbighshire council whose income approached the very chief executive's (and the chief executive is believed as the highest paid in Wales, though this was a fallacy*). This proves Hilditch-Roberts's business worth and must reflect the success of his consultancy, training businesses and his work with the farmers union and management institute.
But is the purchase of the post office franchise really a good idea? Ask the retiring owners and they will tell you that there's no money any more in post offices. Expect Hilditch-Roberts, therefore, to use as much floor space to sell trinkets as he currently does from his I'r Dim premises. It's the only way he'll ever make any money.
Hilditch-Roberts bought Just Right in Dinbych, rebranded and later shut it in October 2014, seen here with windows empty
Some would therefore argue that Hilditch-Roberts has made some brave business decisions. He bought the Griffin Inn, Llanbedr, at a time of recession when rural pubs were doing poorly. Perhaps his hope was to buy cheap and sell strong. After saying he always fancied himself as a rural landlord, strategically, he got out. He bought Just Right (I'r Dim) in Dinbych, after the previous owners had been struggling to sell, unsuccessfully, for at least half-a-dozen years. Their delight became Hilditch-Roberts's regret, as he closed this, too, and at the most inopportune time, in October 2014, ahead of peak Christmas sales. Fancy goods and gifts probably never was Dinbych's strong suit and the shop was just a little too far from the High Street. The offshoot opened in Rhuthun is nevertheless stronger but is it strong enough?
In recent years, across the country, there's been a marked decline in post office footfall and business. Those nasty things you had to do at the post office are now easier online. Even the monopoly on cashing Giros has gone. Even older people, who've been using computers at work, can tax their car online.
And then there's the sharp decline in post and therefore the purchase of stamps. After faxing became available to businesses in the 1980s came email for all, from the 1990s. How many bills to do receive through your letterbox? How many do you pay by cheque & letter? Do you receive & send written social correspondence any more or, instead, do you rely on email and Facebook? You can even send a greetings card via the internet and although this does use the mail, it doesn't require a visit to a post office or the purchase of a stamp. Bucking the trend, of course, is the internet parcels business. Even here, there are alternatives, especially for businesses, and these offer a service that sometimes exceeds Royal Mail's. And as for junk mail, even this is declining, as people instead use either Groupon or they get their junk via their email accounts. Little wonder the post office has rationalised, closing branches everywhere, including at Llanfwrog.
Is the post office rapidly becoming irrelevant? And, if so, has Hilditch-Roberts made the right decision?
This is nothing to do with the post office itself—although the exponential increase in the cost of postage that results from market loss is self-fulfilling. There's simply been a market shift. Let's liken this to vinyl to cassette to compact disc to MP3 downloads. Or advertisement sales following the reader from newspapers to tablets. We now expect instant comms and, as a result, we simply don't need the post office any more.
But we all tend to look at the post office with nostalgic, sepia-tinted glasses and that's why we welcome Hilditch-Roberts's investment. As to whether we actually use the place, well, that's a different story. I think that the post office, these days, is nothing more than an insurance policy. Where once I was inside (in the 1980s) doing something at least weekly, I could now count on one hand the number of visits per annum. The next generations will probably eschew the place altogether.
A brave step for Hilditch-Roberts, then. Yet, if his performance at council is any judge, he will diversify and make it work as best he can, even in a shrinking market. He comes across at council as a politician to watch. As for Rhuthun's post office, we'll watch that, too. And we wish him well in his venture.
*—In November 2015, the Daily Mail published that Denbighshire paid four people over £100,000. This compares to seven in Conwy' seven in Flintshire (plus the chief exec there at £167,954); 12 in Wrexham (plus one at £166,000); five in Anglesey (plus the chief exec at £186,281); and six at Gwynedd plus one at over £150,000, one over £200,000 and the chief exec at £306,813).
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