A Post Office near Crieff is under new ownership, thanks to a £248,000 funding package from Royal Bank of Scotland.
The Post Office in the village of Comrie, seven miles west of Crieff, has been an important fixture in the village for a number of years, and has recently been taken over by husband and wife team and first-time business owners, Marlene and Alistair Hobson.
The store was purchased by the couple in July and since then, Marlene, who runs the Post Office, has made some changes, including freshening up the décor and updating its retail offering to customers. In addition to gifts, cards, groceries and fresh coffee, there are plans to sell hot food in the coming months.
The purchase of the business has also secured employment of two existing members of staff.
The deal was referred by White Oak UK to broker development manager, Sarah Delo, and supported by local relationship manager, Bill Scorgie.
Marlene Hobson, owner of Comrie Post Office, said: “We’re first-time business owners so buying the Post Office was a big step, especially as we’re a bit older; however, everything lined up nicely and thanks to Royal Bank of Scotland, the banking side of things was plain sailing.
“We’ve been lucky as the local community has been supportive and made us feel very welcome. Although we’ll be looking to put our own stamp on things, our main focus is to keep the Post Office running as smoothly as possible. It is an important lifeline for the local community and we want to make sure we continue to offer vital services, such as banking, processing payments for road tax and other bills, as well as enabling our customers to send those all-important letters and gifts to friends and family.”
Bill Scorgie, relationship manager at Royal Bank of Scotland said: “It has been great working with Marlene and Alistair as first-time business owners, offering the support and guidance they need to get things started.
“Post Offices provide an important service to local communities, particularly those who can’t get out and about as much, and we wish Marlene and Alistair all the best.”
