New Zealand Post is looking for another business to house its Roxburgh agency, after the expected closure of the Roxburgh Four Square shop today.
Shop manager Karla Nesbit said the business was closing because it was not economically viable.
Its owners, Ian and Barbara McLeish, were in Australia and they planned to move there permanently, Miss Nesbit said. They bought the business in July last year and had recently unsuccessfully tried to sell it.
"It was just the wrong time to sell," she said. "The locals are very sad to see it go. Some are angry."
There is another supermarket in the town.
The agency only offered postal services, Miss Nesbit said. There was no Kiwibank, and no facility for motor-vehicle licensing and ownership changes, or to pay electricity and telephone bills.
Keith Fitzgerald, New Zealand Post media communications manager, said the state-owned-enterprise was only told two weeks ago that the shop was to close and since then had tried to find another home for its agency.
He was confident of having one operating before Christmas.
New Zealand Post had retained access to the Four Square building, so the post office box service and rural delivery service there would remain until the new agency was established, he said.
However, a parcel service would not be available until the new agency was operating, so Roxburgh residents who wanted to post parcels would have to travel to Millers Flat or Alexandra, Mr Fitzgerald said.
"We regret it's not a smooth transition in that area but the lack of time we were given was disappointing," he said.
