*Dated April 2009- So Jo Davis no longer works the ghost shop shift anymore. Plans to do re-do this story are in the works, but I thought you might enjoy this anyway*
The Ghost Shop Shift
By Simon Reed
More than two customers in an hour is seen as surprisingly busy for workers at a store in West Moors.
The Co-op on Station Roads number of customers rarely comes to double figures between 9pm and when it closes at 11pm on Sunday nights.
Last Sunday, in the stores last two hours open, it took just £70 in sales, whereas the next day, in what was described as a ‘relatively quiet’ Monday afternoon by the clerk at the till, took that in less than 15 minutes.
Selling alcohol after 10pm is prohibited as well, due to a licensing agreement between the local council and the stores in the area.
One customer was confused at the law, and said ‘it makes no sense. Most people coming in this late will only be after more alcohol, after getting kicked out of the pub across the road, so the shop should close at ten to avoid annoying and confusing customers.’
Pascal Longhurst, 30, the stores manager, defended the store being open so late and said ‘we’re providing a service to the community and if we help that one or two people then it’s worth our while.’
In charge of the store during Sunday nights, Joanne Johnstone, 34, said ‘I could be doing a lot better things with my time especially as there’s no customers, it’s also quite demoralising because I’ve got no-one to talk to.’
In this time when money is tight and shops must cut down to survive, it is surprising that the shop remains open, but the reason may be because of the Tesco’s Express across the road, which also closes at 11pm.
If each store is only open because they do not want to close earlier than the other, then perhaps an agreement should be met between the two to close at a time more suitable for the incredibly quiet village of West Moors.
(Picture of Jo on a quiet, miserable Sunday night)
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