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A Stoke-on-Trent community is to be left without a post office. Abbey Hulton Post Office is closing in the New Year after Morrisons decided to shut its McColl’s branch on Abbots Road.
The supermarket giant has agreed to keep the post office open until after Christmas. But customers will then have to go to Birches Head, Baddeley Green or Milton for their post office needs.
The Abbots Road store is shutting alongside other McColl’s branches on Trentham Road, in Blurton, and Anchor Road, in Longton. Its Keele University branch is also shutting.
READ: Morrisons to shut third Stoke-on-Trent McColl’s store
A Post Office spokesman said: “We regret to confirm that Morrisons has taken the difficult decision to close some McColl’s stores that hosted post offices, due to the unprofitability of the retail in that store. It has not been helped by the difficult high street conditions facing retailers.
“Morrisons has confirmed that it will keep Abbey Hulton Post Office open throughout the Christmas period and that it will close in the New Year. We will undertake an assessment of the local area and will be working closely with nearby postmasters to support them with the likely increase in footfall for both their post office and their own retail services and will review requirements for the local community.
“There are three nearby alternative post offices that customers can use in the New Year. Milton Post Office is open six days a week between 8.30am and 8.30pm. Birches Head Post Office is also open six days a week between 8.30am and 5.30pm. Baddelley Green Post Office is located nearby too and is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5.30pm and 9am until 2.30pm on Saturdays.”
Morrisons is closing 132 of the existing 1,164 McColl’s stores. It comes as the supermarket giant is expected to snap up the collapsed convenience store chain in a multi-million pound rescue deal.
The Competitions and Market Authority is still waiting to approve the Morrisons deal.
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