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Friday 8 Dec 2017

Network Rail has Christmas wrapped up for station shoppers

Region & Route:

National

Shoppers at three of the country’s busiest railway stations will be able to benefit from a free Christmas wrapping service for gifts bought in station shops.

Network Rail’s present-shaped ‘Wrapland’ pop-up stand is being gifted to Glasgow Central, London Victoria and London Waterloo stations in December, providing the three quarters of a million people who use these stations each day a chance to save precious time on wrapping presents during the busy Christmas period.

A free Christmas present wrapping service is on offer

Wrapland opened initially in Glasgow Central from 6-7 December, and will move to London Victoria for the 13-14 December and London Waterloo on 18-19 December. The stand will be open from 10am to 8pm.

Recent figures show that gifting retailers at Network Rail managed stations have seen total sales growth of 14.81% over the last year, showing that more gifts are being bought at stations. This has been prompted by a number of high end retailers such as Oliver Bonas in Glasgow, Neal’s Yard Remedies in London Victoria and Links of London in London Waterloo.

To showcase the seasonal offer at these stations, selected retailers will also be giving away free product samples at the stand.

Donations to our charity partner Barnardo’s can be made at collection points

Alongside the stand, Network Rail will host a collection point for donations to its charity partner Barnardo’s, and will launch a social media competition where station users are encouraged to pose for photos behind a Christmas-themed “head-in-the-hole” board and Tweet their photo for a chance to win a Christmas hamper.

Hamish Kiernan, Commercial Director of Retail, Network Rail, said: “Christmas is a busy time of year and our station retailers provide a convenient way for time-pressed shoppers to select a range of gifts for friends and family, from chocolates and flowers to jewellery and fashion items.

“Wrapland is just one example of how we use the space in our stations to host innovative events and create experiences that surprise and delight station users. We’ve worked hard to create a diverse and high-quality retail offer that makes these stations fantastic shopping destinations in their own right, and Wrapland is a great way of showcasing this.

“We also are proud to be supporting our charity partner Barnardo’s alongside the event, highlighting how stations can act as a hub for a host of schemes which deliver positive benefits to the communities they serve.”