| Parents of the latest intake of pupils at St Joseph’s PS have been told this week that long-standing orders for their new blazers with the Schoolwear Shop, Commercial Street, can no longer be fulfilled.
With a host of angry parents on their case, store manager Paul McGhee told the Tele the frustrating situation had arisen from difficulties with the manufacturer of the blazer, with whom they had enjoyed a 17-year working relationship.
Mr McGhee said he was doing his utmost to resolve the situation.
However, despite his apologies, Raylene Connachan said she had been left “angry and disappointed” at the news her five-year-old daughter Ava was set to miss out on being dressed up for her first school day and criticised Mr McGhee for his handling of the situation.
She said, “I don’t think they have handled the situation very well. The manager doesn’t seem to be overly fussed at letting parents know what’s going on and I’m sure many of them will be very surprised when they find out in the next week or so.
“My order was placed in June and I was assured I would receive the blazer in time. When I visited the shop in the last week of July to collect the blazer I was told there had been a hold-up, but the blazer would definitely be with me.
“In the end, I received a phone call from the shop this week telling me there had been some kind of fall out with the manufacturers.”
Mrs Connachan said she had been forced to look elsewhere for a blazer, with her search eventually ending in Edinburgh at a higher cost.
She explained, “It’s now costing me £76 for the blazer, when it should have originally cost £55, as well as the expense of travelling to Perth.
“It’s been an unwelcome pain when all I want to do is see Ava enjoy her first day at school.”
However, Mr McGhee said his suppliers Beau Brumell, a subsidiary of Banner Limited, were entirely responsible for the shortfall, with his orders placed in good faith.
He added, “We do not manufacture blazers. Our whole stock depends on the manufacturers and in this case there is a problem and it’s causing me great heartache.
“It’s out of my hands and being a small shop for us to go and source these abroad is not an option.
“I feel for the parents and can assure them I am doing my utmost to get this resolved.”
Beau Brumell were asked to comment but had not done so at the time of going to Press. |
