Westcity post shop to close
Westcity shopping centre is losing its post shop.
Kiwibank has announced it would end postal services at its Westcity branch in Henderson.
It was the latest Kiwibank to shift to bank-only branches, following the same move at Hamilton, New Plymouth, Christchurch and central Auckland branches.
The post shop would remain open at Westcity while NZ Post searched for another business to offer postal services.
A Kiwibank representative said the change was a response to the different needs of bank and post shop customers.
The bank’s Westcity branch would become a standalone bank.
Kiwibank has also announced plans for other standalone branches in a number of locations.
NZ Post and Kiwibank representatives were unable to confirm when the change would occur.
Kiwibank retail distribution general manager Geoff Waller said the proposed new model has been discussed with staff.
‘‘We know our customer needs are changing, and it’s important we have the right environment for conversations and to keep providing our unique customer experience,’’ Waller said.
‘‘For NZ Post, the store-customer relationship is predominantly transactional, whereas for Kiwibank there is an increasing focus on conversations. This means the storefront space and location needs are not the same.’’
NZ Post head of retail Mark Yagmich said they were focused on finding a suitable Henderson business to partner with.
‘‘We already successfully deliver postal services through local businesses in many communities as a way of becoming a financially sustainable business.
‘‘Whilst we carry out this search there will be no change to our services for customers who use the Henderson Westcity PostShop.’’
NZ Post had two part-time workers at the store. The company could not confirm if there would be job losses. The three closest postal services were in Glendene Village Pharmacy, B H Oldham Pharmacy in Henderson and on Universal Drive, Henderson.