Buying locally - which means small local shops, rather than the nearest superstore - is an admirable message and one I don't always achieve.
There is always the problem that the local shops don't stock what you need, and you need it now!
And (let's be honest) there can also be a price issue.
The news that Amazon have removed the delivery contract from the
Royal Mail for items over 500g is undoubtedly going to have a serious impact here.
Not just because of the amount that is bought from Amazon, but the impact it will have on other mail-order companies, and then on the viability of the postal system as a whole.
(added later) There are also a large number of businesses locally who rely on a good reliable postal service for exporting goods, and if the Royal Mail prices increase then it could force some of them out of business.
The playing field is not level. The Post Office must deliver to every address at the same price. The new entrants into the market can cherry-pick the most profitable business.
I've said it before, and I will say it again: the only way to protect the
Royal Mail service Universal Service Obligation is for new entrants in the UK-wide postal market to be forced to provide a USO within (perhaps) five years of entering into the market.
That will both challenge and protect the Royal Mail through the changes in the market, whilst meeting the Government's primary objective of deregulation.
Watch the local politicians wring their hands in despair at the potential impact on these islands, and see if any actually have a sensible solution.....
(Thanks to a twitterer for the tip-off)
Update: Exiting from the first update, what is the GoogleAds on the Blogger page
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