Mail services at 142 of NZ Post's urban retail partner stores across New Zealand will be withdrawn from later this year, the postal service has announced.
The state-owned enterprise confirmed the changes this morning, noting that there would be no changes to rural stores "at this time".
The move was part of an overhaul to New Zealand's postal network and follows recent changes to the Deed of Understanding between NZ Post and the Government, which revised the service's minimum store requirements for the first time since the 1980s.
The new obligations reduced the minimum number of postal service points from 880 to 500, with a further reduction to 400 after four years. The minimum number of service points offering personal assistance would be halved over time, from 240 to 120.
NZ Post's partner stores can be found at retail outlets such as pharmacies and supermarkets across urban centres, allowing customers to send and receive mail.
The postal service said the move would see fewer stores that "offer a better experience and are better able to handle the volume of parcels that customers are sending and collecting from stores".
NZ Post general manager consumer, Sarah Sandoval, said the current network was larger than needed for today's mail volumes.
“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," she said.
"In fact, 90% of Kiwis living in urban areas will still be within 4km of an NZ Post store."
Sandoval said the Deed of Understanding had allowed NZ Post to adapt its network to meet customer needs. She said customers "far more" relied on NZ Post stores for sending and receiving parcels than for letters.
“A lot has changed since the 1980s, when our 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," she said in a media release.
According to the statement, NZ Post would upgrade some of its own stores and introduce "retail hubs" offering multiple services at a single location.
"They will feature modern, customer-friendly spaces designed for parcel sending, collection and returns."
Two are already open in Newmarket and Hardinge St in Auckland, with locations set to open in Christchurch and Palmerston North in the first half of this year.
More locations were being planned across the country.
“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," Sandoval said.
People can check whether their area is affected by visiting the NZ Post website.
Several other changes to the mail service have also been announced since the Deed of Understanding was revised.
In October 2025, NZ Post changed the minimum number of days it was required to deliver mail to two days a week for urban areas (down from three), PO Boxes (down from five) and private bags.
The minimum delivery frequency for rural areas dropped from five days a week to three.
James Hartley, general manager of communications, infrastructure and trade at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, said the reduced days were also due to changes in how Kiwis use the mail service.
“New Zealanders are sending fewer letters than ever before. The average delivery point now receives less than two letters per week, compared to 7.5 in 2013.
"Despite being used less, NZ Post has been required to maintain a network designed for much higher volumes."
In 2024, NZ Post confirmed plans to lay off 700 posties over the next few years and pass their duties to contracted courier drivers as mail volumes decline.
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