New Zealand Post Expands Retail Network

For immediate release 12 September 2003
New Zealand Post Expands Retail Network

A commitment to improve services to communities is at the heart of New Zealand Post’s announcement today to increase its retail network before Christmas.

Residents and businesses of four New Zealand communities – Owairaka, Wakatipu, Botany and Richmond – will be enjoying enhanced services within the next few months with upgrades confirmed to their local postal services.

Two Post Centres, at opposite ends of the country, will be upgraded to provide full PostShop services including Kiwibank. The upgrades have been confirmed as a response to increasing demands in the Auckland suburb of Owairaka and the Frankton township of Wakatipu, near Queenstown.

While both communities currently have a Post Centre, the upgrade means they will soon be able to fulfil their postal and banking needs as well as bill payments through BillPay and ticketing through Red Tickets.

The other two changes will effect residents of the Manukau suburb Botany and Richmond, near Nelson, whose local Books & More stores will be expanding their services to include Kiwibank.

Chief Executive John Allen said the decision to increase services to the network, while being commercially viable, is driven by the changing needs and demands of local customers.

“These four outlets are operated by local franchisees, so what this expansion indicates is a desire by Post for increased partnerships with communities. We believe there is a real opportunity to extend into areas in a way that is commercially viable for both us and the local franchisee.”

Mr Allen said the introduction of four new Kiwibank branches will lift the total number of outlets providing Kiwibank to 291, reaffirming its position as the largest branch network in the country.

“A key element of the original Kiwibank business case was to return banking to communities which had lost services in recent years or bring it to those for whom services had never been considered. We’ve been working hard with the existing network to make that a reality.”

While not confirmed, a number of other upgrades are currently being worked on. They are planned for both urban and rural communities.

With more than 1,000 outlets, no other company has New Zealand Post’s reach. This expansion will take the total of PostShops and Books & More stores to 319.

ENDS

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