New Zealand Post intends to keep the post office box lobby at its Dunedin metro branch in the Exchange and try to alleviate the parking and queue concerns at the Moray Pl branch, a spokesman says.
A campaign had been launched to try to save the metro branch in the Exchange after its closure was announced by New Zealand Post earlier this month, with a rally held on Friday protesting against the closure. A petition is also being circulated.
Save Dunedin Metro Post Shop and Kiwibank campaign spokesman Victor Billot said about 1400 signatures had been collected.
The decision had caused major concern and anger among Dunedin business and personal customers, he said.
New Zealand Post external communications head John Tulloch said yesterday New Zealand Post realised Dunedin people were passionate about the issue, but unfortunately the customer support for the Dunedin Metro store had not been sufficient to make it viable.
Average customer numbers per day in 2010 for the Dunedin Metro store were 284. This was 42% of the average daily customer traffic of the Moray Pl store (675 a day) and 37% of the customer flow of the Dunedin South store (765 a day), he said.
For the first four months of 2011 (January-April), there was a 7% decline in customers at the Dunedin Metro store compared with the same period last year. Compounding that, there was low usage of Kiwibank facilities.
However, it was "very likely" the post office box lobby would remain in the same location.
New Zealand Post was also aware of the concerns around metro customers having to use the Moray Pl Post Shop.
New Zealand Post was "exploring options" with the Dunedin City Council to help alleviate car-parking issues and, as it had stated, would put resources into the store to deal with increased customer numbers.
Chief executive Brian Roche was overseas, so was unable to take up the invitation from Save Dunedin Metro Post Shop and Kiwibank to receive the petition in person, he said.
The campaigners had been urged to post the petition to him.
