Sal Ahmad’s Woodside Post Office in Aberdeen is an old favourite with a very modern heart. It has an active social media presence, and a dedicated following of customers who enjoy keeping up to date about its offers and services and the delicious goodies available from its bakery.

A family move took Sal and her husband to Aberdeen 16 years ago. It was a chance to try something new. “My husband always fancied being his own boss,” Sal explained. “We thought, why not just go for it? We both gave up high-flying jobs and have done this ever since.”

It’s this depth of retail experience in combination with Sal’s social media savvy that sets her Post Office apart, she believes. “We take great care to ensure that the Post Office is blended seamlessly with the retail and bakery counters. We focus on ensuring all staff are fully trained to deliver each aspect of the business with confidence. Customers appreciate this expertise. We save on staff costs because one member of staff can perform all of the transactions.”

The store’s online presence is very important. “We were one of the first Post Offices to have a social media presence in our Berryden Branch,” Sal said. “Woodside has only been up and running for about four months now, and our Facebook page is already making quite an impression. Not only do we market our Post Office and retail services, but we also promote our community activities. The key is to make sure the content is meaningful and relevant and reflects Post Office’s values.”

Sal said that tapping into the community of other Post Office franchisees has been invaluable. “We’ve formed a strong network within Aberdeen. We’ve used our experience running Berryden Post Office, which was also a Top Performer last year, to inform the way we interact with customers in our new shop.”

They drew on this network and knowledge when they were setting up Woodside Post Office. Sal said: “Woodside had been without a Post Office for three years, before we started, we did a lot of homework. We went to community meetings and raised a lot of awareness that a new Post Office would be opening in the local area. We knew that this area had recently lost a bakery so that was an obvious thing for us to include in the mix.”

Since it opened in February this year, Woodside has proved a roaring success with an avalanche of positive feedback on their website and plenty of local press coverage. Sal chalks up this momentum to getting the simple things right.

“Four months in to trading and we’ve already won a Top Performer award at this year’s Post Office Retail Awards! I love working with people,” she smiled. “My colleagues are like an extended family and we’ve already got regulars after only being open for a few months. It feels like we’ve been here for ages.”

Sal advises other retailers thinking of becoming franchisees to do their research before they begin. “Do your homework, make sure you get the right location and you really understand the business. There is a lot of support available and if you don’t know, just ask – then you’re on to a winner.”

And the secret to Woodside’s success? “Well, we’re absolutely amazing! Simple, really.”