Aberdeen business losing thousands of pounds due to postal strike

The impact of postal strikes has been felt hard by Aberdeen hamper-making business Just A Wee Gift.

Owner Laura Henderson has had to close her order book weeks early, causing her to lose at least £2,000 in income.

She has also had to spend an extra £400 on courier costs due to the Royal Mail strikes.

The postal worker walkouts coincide with the busiest time of year, when people and businesses are sending Christmas cards and presents.

‘Knock-on effect’

Ms Henderson only launched her website this year and was hoping for a bumper first year of Christmas sales.

But instead she’s been forced to close her order book a month early for international order and two weeks for UK deliveries.

Just A Wee Gift specialises in making and supplying hampers and gifts for all occasions.

It also offers a range of other products, including personalised gift boxes, activity packs, explosion boxes and nappy “cakes” for any theme and budget.

The mum-of-one said: “The strikes are happening at the wrong time.

“My website is fairly new and this year I was relying on online sales. Christmas is my busiest time and I’ve lost at least £2,000 income.

“It’s had a big knock-on effect and was definitely the wrong time of the year for businesses.”

“Plus, I’ve spent at least £400 on extra courier charges.”

Orders weeks late arriving

It usually takes only three to five days for Ms Henderson’s deliveries to arrive but at the moment it’s around three weeks.

To help customers she has been delivering to as many as she can.

She said: “I had to post out my international orders as quickly as possible and some of them haven’t arrived. They are taking weeks and weeks.

“Rather than using Royal Mail I’ve had to use couriers which has cost me an extra £400 to make sure my products reach customers.

“Plus, I’ve had to depend on myself doing local deliveries and customers collecting from me when they can.

“I usually only deliver up until the 22nd but I’m doing it until Christmas Eve this year.

“But there’s some people I’ve not been able to take orders from as they wouldn’t arrive in time.

“It’s been very hard.”

Supplier problems

Ms Henderson decided to start her business when she was looking for a hamper as a gift for a relative but couldn’t find anyone local to make it.

She relied on pop-up shops and craft fairs before turning to ecommerce earlier this year.

But it’s not just lost revenue that’s been causing a problem. Supplies have also been hard to source and delayed – meaning orders can’t be completed.

Ms Henderson said: “There’s been issues with me getting stock from suppliers meaning I couldn’t sell what I normally would.

“A lot of local food suppliers are struggling and I’ve not been able to get my stock – jam, chutney and shortbread in particular.

“I try to use not just local stockists in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, but across the UK.

“The knock-on effect has been huge.”

Further strikes planned

As well as holding strikes this week, 115,000 Royal Mail workers from the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will also take industrial action on December 23 and Christmas Eve.

The dispute has been going on since the summer, with pay a key issue.

Federation of Small Businesses north-east development manager Mike Duncan said: “Small businesses are already struggling in the current economic climate.

“Adding disruption to postal services into the mix is not something a majority of them will welcome.

“Today, I’ve spoken to a training firm that’s struggling to send out training manuals to clients, an optician who is having issues sending and receiving lenses, and a local retailer who can get a shipment from Holland in two days but has to quote seven to 10 days to send products to customers who live in the next town.

“Where possible, we’re encouraging small businesses to plan ahead and to see if alternative methods of sending and receiving can be found, especially during the festive period.

“Some businesses are looking at alternative couriers and comparing costs with their current providers.”

No sign of resolution

A spokesman for Royal Mail said the company had made a “best and final pay offer worth up to 9% over 18 months”.

He added: “Instead of working with us to agree on changes required to fund that offer and get pay into our posties’ pockets, the CWU has announced plans to ballot in the new year for further strike action.”

A spokesman for the CWU said Royal Mail had offered workers a 3% pay rise this year, 3% next year, and an additional 2% if employees agree to “the absolute destruction” of terms and conditions”.