Opinion: Hats off to those who make our stores convenient

The Times, the Daily Mail, The Sun, the Daily Mirror, The Racing Post.

Glancing down the list from Smiths News, all seems pretty much as itemised.

Now it’s just a matter of locating the Saturday supplements and putting them into the papers and then arranging the outcome on the Perspex news stack at the back of the shop.

Already the faithful are arriving for their daily news fix and hovering as I try to complete the paper stuffing while serving them (why has nobody ever thought of stuffing the papers before they’re delivered?).

Time to put the vegetables in the baskets outside and set out the chairs and tables ready for the foolhardy who decide to buy a coffee and then drink it in the approaching dawn – why would you do that?

“Just why do people always buy a bag of peanuts for their dogs (about 2kg of the things)?”

Now onto the croissants: almond, plain and chocolate. The oven’s heated up, so they can go in.

Flick the switch on the kettle at the same time, ready for a cuppa when the rush of opening subsides.

Next, grab the digital thermometer, remove the covers from the upright chillers and turn on their lights.

Yes, they are running at about 7°C, so all is as it should be. Time for that tea and take the stuff out of the oven.

Here come the bakery deliveries from Avery’s.

Just why do people always buy a bag of peanuts for their dogs (about 2kg of the things)?

And now here’s somebody who wants stamps and cash-back.

Three things to learn here: where are the stamps kept, how much is a 2nd class stamp and how do you organise cash-back on the till? It really isn’t intuitive.

Finally, it’s back behind the counter and more shoppers are coming for their papers and breakfast comestibles.

But the panic is over. The shop is more or less ship-shape and ready for go for another day.

“Time to drink the tea, eat a croissant and consider whether to buy The Times and The Guardian, or just The Times, to read when I get home”

Only another half-hour before Suzanne comes in and takes over. Meanwhile, time to drink the tea, eat a croissant and consider whether to buy The Times and The Guardian, or just The Times, to read when I get home.

Oh yes, it’s called convenience retailing. But not so much if you happen to be behind the counter.

It’s a sobering thought that there are those who do this every day: I only do it on Saturdays for about two hours.

Hats off to those that make retail truly convenient for the rest of us.

It’s just about getting light outside… Happy Christmas.