New Zealand Post is examining its options in Redwood for providing a PostCentre service, which offers postal and courier services,
New Zealand Post Group Manager Retail, Michelle van Gaalen, said today that the offer to the Redwood PostShop franchisees, to continue operations as a PostCentre within their book and toy business, remained open.
“We were hopeful the PostCentre offer would provide a good solution for the franchisees. While they have responded by telling us they would either close or sell their entire business with effect from 2 October, the door remains open to them if they want to further discuss our PostCentre offer.”
In the event the offer was not taken up, New Zealand Post was looking at alternative businesses in Redwood that could host a PostCentre service.
“We remain committed to retaining postal and courier services in the Redwood area and are looking to provide these facilities from another host business nearby when the existing franchise closes,” said Ms van Gaalen.
Ms van Gaalan said she was pleased that the franchisees of the Linwood and South City PostShops, which were undergoing similar changes, had accepted New Zealand Post’s offer to continue as PostCentres.
Commenting on community actions in Redwood, Ms van Gaalen said she understood that some customers felt strongly about the change, and that some would be inconvenienced by it.
“Having considered the current and future needs of the area, we have concluded that the Redwood area is best suited to a PostCentre. We will not review our decision, and I am confident that PostCentre arrangements for Redwood will be in place in the near future,” she said.
Bill payment and Kiwibank services remained accessible at the relatively nearby PostShops at Papanui, Bishopdale and, in the near future, the new store to open at Northwood.
Ms van Gaalen said Christchurch generally was well serviced with 25 PostShops, and New Zealand Post was always looking at supporting to new growth areas, such as Northwood.
“New Zealand Post is constantly reviewing its national network of over 300 PostShops, offering postal, courier banking, bill payment and Kiwibank services, and over 600 PostCentres to make sure that we offer the right level of services to customers in the right locations, now and in the future. In the case of franchise stores, reviews generally coincide with the expiry of fixed-term franchise agreements,” she said.
“In the past year we have made more than 20 significant enhancements to our network of over 300 PostShops; we’ve opened new stores, refurbished them or relocated them to better places to improve our services.”
ENDS
Contact:
Keith FitzPatrick
Media Communications Manager
New Zealand Post
04 496 4566
027 453 9882