Kiwis call NZ Post closures 'a joke' as small businesses and elderly affected

Yesterday, New Zealand Post announced it will be withdrawing mail services at 142 retail partner stores later this year. That means around one in five post shops in urban areas will shut, with NZ Post saying there would be no changes to rural stores “at this time”.

The move has left lots of Kiwis outraged, some of whom are small business owners who will be left reeling from the change. 

Briony Hogg, who runs a Wellington bookstore called Marsden Books, will lose the option to offer postal services in May - something she told Stuff would be "devastating" for her business. 

“Given the current economic climate in Wellington, it couldn't have come at a worse time for us," she said. Meanwhile, as the postal network looks to shift away from letters and towards parcel sending and collection, there are concerns about how elderly people will be affected. 

Crystal Kelly, who runs the Ontetangi PostCentre on Waiheke, said it was going to make "everything harder for people" in her area, especially older people who don't use online services. 

"Don't NZ Post understand the basics?" one social media comment asked. "Postage costs are high, therefore fewer people can afford to post a letter or card - hence the drop in use.

"People love getting a nice letter in the mail instead of junk mail or a bill. Yes, I know most bills arrive electronically now, but not every person has access to the technology." 

Another person called it a "bit of a joke", while a third said they never paid their bills online and asked NZ Post to "please leave the mail and letters as they are and have been for many long years".

On the other hand, some Kiwis felt it was fair for NZ Post to "move with the times". “If people aren’t using the service, something has to go”. 

In a press release, NZ Post said: “The retail network needs to be rebalanced to better suit the way customers use our products and services." 

NZ Post said that despite the changes, “90% of Kiwis living in urban areas will still be within 4km of an NZ Post store," but it remains to be seen how badly the other 10% are affected. 

Meanwhile, there are plans for NZ Post to invest in some upgraded stores and new "retail hubs" to combine functions in a user-friendly way. There are already two in Auckland, and plans for new ones in Christchurch and Palmerston North this year. 

A full list of the NZ Post outlets to close can be found here.