More than 140 NZ Post stores are closing as part of changes to the organisation’s urban retail store network, leaving some customers 3km away from their next closest store.

Of the 142 stores closing, three were in Tauranga - Matua PostCentre, Papamoa East PostCentre and Cherrywood Central PostShop.

The change follows an update to the Deed of Understanding, an agreement between NZ Post and the Government, which resets the minimum store requirements for the first time in about 40 years and allows the service to change its retail network.

“While these changes will see NZ Post remove services from 142 urban retail partner stores nationwide in 2026, the remaining network of 567 stores will still be significantly larger than any New Zealand supermarket or bank branch network,” NZ Post general manager consumer Sarah Sandoval said.

“In fact, 90% of Kiwis living in urban areas will still be within 4km of an NZ Post store.”

Sandoval said customers rely more on NZ Post stores for collecting and sending parcels compared to letters, much different, she claimed, to the 1980s when the minimum store requirements were last set.

“The retail network needs to be rebalanced to better suit the way customers use our products and services today and into the future.

“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.”

NZ Post has planned to upgrade some of its own stores and introduce new retail hubs as part of this transformation, with the hubs aiming to bring multiple services together in one location.

Two of these hubs have already opened in Auckland’s Newmarket and Hardinge St, while Christchurch and Palmerston North will see these open in the first half of this year.

Sandoval said these changes will help NZ Post to operate more sustainably and commercially responsibly, something essential for store improvements, services and customer experience.