NZ Post to close 142 retail partner stores

Harry Booth

27th Jan 2026

NZ Post is closing 142 retail partner stores, while offering a “better experience” to customers in a nationwide upheaval of the government agency.

In an announcement, NZ Post said that the changes will help to ensure its urban retail network has the “right number” of stores, in the right locations. It added that no changes to rural stores will be made at this time.

“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 of consumer, Sarah Sandoval, said.

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

An agreement between NZ Post and the government, called the deed of understanding, was recently updated, which reset the minimum store requirements for the first time since the 1980s.

“A lot has changed since the 1980s, when our minimum store requirements were last set,” Sandoval added. “Customers now rely far more on NZ Post stores for collecting and sending parcels compared to letters. 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 said it will upgrade some of its own stores and introduce new retail hubs, which will combine multiple services at once. Two hubs are already open in Newmarket and Hardinge Street in Auckland, with Christchurch and Palmerston North set to follow in the first half of 2026.

“We encourage customers to visit our website and check for information in-store to learn more about changes in their local area, and how to access NZ Post services nearby,” Sandoval said.

“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.”