Post shop in Johnsonville Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
A store owner says he cannot understand why NZ Post plans to close his store's postal service.
This week, NZ Post confirmed it would be removing 142 partner stores, like convenience stores and pharmacies that also offer postal services, by the end of the year.
The state-owned company said 567 post shops would remain open nationwide and rural post shops would not be affected.
For Te Kauwhata residents, that means their only post shop will be gone.
Manjit Singh said his small convenience store in the rural Waikato town runs a postal service which is regularly used by residents.
"It doesn't make sense to me at all," he told Morning Report.
"Right opposite my shop, there's an old-age home, and people quite enjoy our service.
"They will have to go to Huntly or Pukekohe."
The next closest postal store is more than 15 kilometres away along State Highway 1.
Singh said he had not observed a decline in people using his store's postal service, which he ran as a side business to his convenience store.
"It would be really inconvenient for people if we aren't there."
He said NZ Post had told him it would be updating him on its future with the store later this year.
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