Ryman (Shop)

I would just like to write on a shop called Ryman, which is a stationary shop – but not stationary in the sense that it stands still! When I say this, I mean that it sells – well, we shall see in a short while. In Plymouth, the shop that this one actually occupies used to be the Stationary Box and so one can only assume that Ryman took them over (or the Stationary Box went bust but it would seem a bit weird and odd that the next store to take over the empty space would be a shop that sells exactly the same). But anyway, I digress yet again as I do generally tend to do at some point during the course of the review I am working on.

This branch is located towards one end of the main city shopping centre in Plymouth, and occupies a prominent yet very cosy (OK small!) plot opposite WHSmith. It carries everything from a basic Biro pen, through folders and printer paper up to shredders and the like. They don't stock loads of each item, but every time I go in there they have to cram it all in due to the size of the shop. Everything seems to be crammed in, so that every time you turn around you will inevitably end up knocking over half of the stock from on the shelves.

The prices that they charge are in comparison to other shops that sell similar goods, extremely high in my own opinion – I nearly always only use this shop as a last resort, as they may just have that little something that everywhere seems to have sold out of.

There are only two till points in this shop, both of which are situated at right angles to the main door (and are situated right beside it too!). What made them do this is beyond me, as if there are more than three people queuing up in order to pay then they block the main entrance – so they have to move in order to let anyone in or out, and heaven only help them if they have a fire as knowing some of the people I have seen going in they aren't too quick at realising what is happening (my apologies however if this relates at all to you).

In terms of the numbers of staff that they have on, apart from the member of staff who is working a till there doesn't appear to be any other people about – they are all out the back, and will only appear if the manager gives them a brief telling off by way of short wave radio. So if you are unable to find what you are looking for in terms of what it is that you wish to buy, then you won't even find a member of staff either – unless you join the queue otherwise known as lets' stop them entering or leaving here.

In conclusion, in my own opinion I wouldn't really entertain the staff in this shop for all of the above reasons. If they wish to become a solid part of the high street, then one feels that they do really need to brush up on their act. Enter at your peril!