More than third of post offices in TG Jones stores to shut by early 2027
Closures within chain formerly under the WH Smith brand raise fears of high streets becoming ‘postal deserts’ Towns and even city centres face being left as “postal deserts” after it emerged that more than a third of post offices within the troubled TG Jones chain are closing. So far this year 36 branches within the high street chain formerly known as WH Smith have closed and a further 34 are set…
More than three-quarters of the post offices within TG Jones stores, formerly known as WH Smith, are set to close by early 2027, raising concerns of high streets becoming "postal deserts." This wave of closures follows an announcement in the summer that 52 post offices in Morrisons Daily convenience stores would also shut, some of which are near TG Jones sites.
Towns such as Stevenage, Bracknell, Orpington, Hull and York are losing two post offices in a matter of months, with Telford's last one expected to close in January. Six post offices in TG Jones stores in Essex are closing, including Clacton-on-Sea and Brentwood. The closures come as part of Modella's plan to shut about 65 of the 450 stores acquired by Modella, which include 110 announced closures.
The Post Office is working to replace every branch within a TG Jones store that closes, but concerns remain over the impact on local economies and small businesses that rely on post office services.
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