Charity staff accost shoppers in store
Customers at WH Smith in Wolverhampton are being stopped as they enter – by a charity worker asking them to sign up for a direct debit donation.
The shop is allowing members of the Red Cross inside to approach people as they come through the door. It is among the first stores in the country to be used in such as way as part of a trial by WH Smith.
But it means some people entering to buy stationery, magazines or newspapers may be turning around and leaving empty-handed.
The use of a "face to face" worker inside a shop is a new tactic for charities, who have long used groups of on-commission workers with fluorescent bibs and armed with clipboards to target shoppers in high streets.
But while the young woman at WH Smith yesterday had some success in signing customers up, it also means WH Smith could be losing trade if shoppers are put off.
A spokeswoman for WH Smith confirmed today: "We are currently running a trial in our Wolverhampton store with the Red Cross.
"As a company we have nominated charities which we support throughout the year. In addition, we support appeals that run for a set period of time, such as the Poppy Appeal and Children in Need."
Liz Williams, head of individual giving at the British Red Cross, said: "British Red Cross face-to face fundraisers are active in WH Smith as part of an ongoing trial across the country on private sites such as shopping centres and airports as well as inside individual stores.
"Face-to-face fundraising is a proven method of raising vital funds which allow the British Red Cross to carry out life-changing work in the UK and around the world, our aim as always is to be able to support those in need.
"As with all our fundraising activities, results of this trial, including feedback from the public, will be tightly assessed."
