Paper Plus Ōtorohanga owner, Grant Matthews
Sometimes no news is good news, sometimes it’s because postal services have been cut back.
New Zealand Post has announced postal services through 142 urban retail partner stores nationwide will cease this year.
Closures follow an update to a deed of understanding between NZ Post and the government which requires a ‘commercially sustainable mail service.’
Three outlets are in Waipā – but it’s business as usual for counters at the Ōtorohanga and Te Kūiti Paper Plus stores.
Grant Matthews, owner of Paper Plus Ōtorohanga, an NZ Post agent, said there is more than one side to this story.
“You can look at the negatives or at the positives – there are still a lot of New Zealand Post stores,” he said.
“The media is focusing on the 150 stores, or just under, that are being closed, but there’s still more than 500 post agents throughout the country. We don’t have supermarkets or even banks that offer that level of coverage.”
In rural areas, Post Shops provide an essential connection, but the recently announced closures are limited to urban branches.
Minimum store requirements were last set in the 1980s, Sarah Sandoval of NZ Post said.
“The retail network needs to be rebalanced. We’ve carefully assessed customer and network data and engaged with our retail partners to understand where changes make sense while maintaining access to the right mix of services in communities.”
Some locations will be upgraded to become new retail hubs offering more services.
“Over time, these changes will help us operate in a more sustainable and commercially responsible way, which is essential for ongoing improvements to stores, services and overall customer experience.”
Grant Matthews
