WH Smith opens doors to chuggers

WH Smith is allowing the unpopular practice of face-to-face charity British Red Cross fundraising to be carried out in its stores as part of a trial that observers are calling risky. WH Smith declined to comment on any commercial aspects of the relationship, but the Red Cross states on its website that the process of “private-site fundraising” is carried out by external agencies on its behalf and that those agencies pay a fee to operate on private sites such as shops. A WH Smith spokeswoman said: “As a company we have nominated charities that we support throughout the year. Last week, we ran a trial in our Holborn Circus store with the Red Cross. As with any trial we run, we will evaluate customer response as soon as it is complete.”

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