Monday 15 October 2012

Let W. H. Smith know what they’re missing.

The following link will take you to just one of the many articles currently doing the rounds regarding this infringement of civil liberties by W.H. Smith. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9606557/WH-Smith-bans-children-from-buying-shooting-magazines.html Now it is true that as a retailer they are perfectly within their rights to refuse to sell items to whoever they see fit. Some, like the countryside Alliance, have given a link to W. H. Smith's customer relations via email. A noble gesture and better than doing nothing but these emails will no doubt fall on deaf ears, as W. H. Smith is one of the largest magazine and newspaper retailers in the country. They do however have shareholders to keep sweet, with wise management, a far better course of action is to do the following, hit them in the pocket, it's what makes big businesses like this take notice. In an idea I picked up from our friends in the U.S., make contact with the company via the customer relations option or by directly sending your letter to the managing director. In the letter be polite and courteous, stick to the point, and explain that you will no longer be shopping at any branch of W. H. Smith due to their attitude towards young shooters in a legally undertaken sport and hobby. Then proceed to list the magazines papers books etc. that you would have purchased from them and the total you have spent but you are now spending with one of their competitors. The loss of sales is something that share holders hate and if enough people follow this route they may well change their mind.

Even if they do not, you should still be able to get your magazines from the local paper-shop or small independent newsagent who is always happy to serve your needs. Oh!, and by the way, in the states this very same form of action caused Block Buster video stores to change its mind on an issue regarding gun ownership. The pen may be mightier than the sword but when money talks, shareholders listen.

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