Gurinder Singh sees his Postal Annex business as a place where people can shop for office supplies—and a whole lot more.
Sure he carries the usual assortment of stationary, notebooks, envelopes, pens and markers. The store at 75 West Nuevo Road provides post office boxes, serves as a Fed-Ex pickup point and a UPS drop off location. Singh provides notary services and copying and fax services too.
But there are plenty of other selections. Singh sells custom-made keys, mugs, NFL and NBA team pennants, Rubik’s Cubes and other toys and key rings.
Singh is now elevating his business profile by taking part in the City’s Shop Local Program.
Gurinder Singh, owner of the Postal Annex on Nuevo Road, accepts a swag bag from Perris Redevelopment Project Coordinator Veronica Arana
The Shop Local initiative, which kicked off about last year, already has garnered support from more than 100 Perris, including automotive shops, insurance agencies, beauty parlors and restaurants. . Perris residents and visitors can participate in the program by obtaining the shop local card from the City’s website, www.cityofperris.org, taking it to the participating merchants and start saving.
The City also has purchased hundreds of 30-second advertisements on a suite of channels, including Arts & Entertainment, Discovery, the Food Channel, CNN, Fox News and ESPN2. Media coverage about the program has included a story in the Press-Enterprise and a segment on KCAL-Channel 9.
“Perris provides us an opportunity like no other city,” Singh said during an interview at the Postal Annex. “It’s definitely a city on the move. With the Metro-link station coming in (expected in 2011) and a new Highway 74/I-215 interchange, things are only going to get better. There is a lot of room to develop and a lot more opportunities to grow.”
Singh said he opened the business six years ago and has seen sales rise steadily, even during the ongoing tough economic times. He said he is so optimistic about the City’s future that he expects one day to open a second location in Perris.
“I really like the Shop Local Program,” Singh said. “It gets the word out about my business. It doesn’t cost me anything. Before I was paying to advertise. I am glad the City is working with businesses to help us grow. I like the City of Perris. I haven’t had one bad day in Perris.”