Female Focus
Page 23
FF - Your Magazine
The Corner Shop - where convenience meets community FF Reporter
The illustrious corner shop has traditionally been a place where you can shop locally as well as catch up on local gossip, pick up information about local businesses, and even sell your unwanted stuff by popping a FOR SALE card in the window.
It’s a place where convenience and community collide making for a cornerstone of any village.
The aptly named Corner Shop in Orba has recently been taken over by Penny Mercer who has quit the UK rat race for a better quality of life. I visited Penny in June to find out her plans for the new shop and was delighted to see the shelves were getting fuller with a wide range of products, a lot direct from the UK! There are the obvious things you’d expect in a corner shop, basics such as milk, tea and sugar, breakfast cereals and marmalade, beans and soup, cakes and sweets, you get the idea.
One thing that Penny was especially proud of was the growing range of herbs and spices. It surprised me to hear her say it was growing as it already looked like the largest collection of herbs and spices I’d ever seen in any supermarket or convenience store. When I asked Penny why, she explained “I aim to respond to what people tell me they need, and herbs and spices was coming through loud and clear”. Penny went on to say “and this is what makes me different, if people want anything in particular, I’ll do my upmost to try and get it, even if it’s only available in the UK”. Penny is also careful to check her prices against her competitors, large and small, to ensure that where possible she is always the cheapest option.
I mentioned about the community
Whilst I was there, several
local
aspect. ladies
popped in just to say hello,
have a quick
chat and of course pick up the Female Focus. It was then I noticed the large collection of birthday and celebration cards. It was becoming clear that Penny had thought of everything, even being able to post your birthday cards back to the UK using EasyPost.
In addition to all of the above you can also buy second-hand paperbacks for 50 cents each, all proceeds go to the local charities, all of which have been supported by the Corner Shop customers for many years.
We spoke about opening hours and Penny has decided to open from 9:00 until 14:00 Monday to Friday, and keeping the current hours the same on a Saturday, which are 9:30 to 13:30. This is with the express intention of giving people the opportunity to pop in on their way to work; somewhere to stop off and pick up supplies for the day, even if it’s just a bottle of water to keep them hydrated during the hot summer months. It’s this kind of thoughtfulness that we feel sure will help make The Corner Shop a roaring success.
It’s easy to find, and easy to park. If you’re not from Orba it’s worth a trip, just head into Orba and find Avenida Fontilles, it’s pretty central. If you get lost, just call 96 558 3846 and Penny will let you know how to get there. A very warm welcome awaits you from Penny, Karen, and Paula.
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