Towns and city centres are facing the prospect of becoming "postal deserts" as it has been revealed that more than a third of post offices within the troubled TG Jones chain are set to close. According to records analyzed by the Guardian, 36 branches of the high street chain, formerly known as WH Smith, have already closed this year, with an additional 34 closures anticipated by early 2027.
Background on TG Jones
TG Jones was acquired and renamed by Modella last year. Before the private equity group's restructuring received creditor approval in July, the chain operated 180 post offices. Concerns had been raised that as many as 60 could be closed as part of the shake-up. Currently, up to 150 of the 450 stores acquired by Modella are expected to shut, with about 65 already closed and at least another 46 scheduled to cease operations early next year. This total of 110 announced closures includes 70 locations that contain post offices.
Impact of Closures
The wave of closures follows a summer announcement that 52 post offices will close within Morrisons Daily convenience stores this year, some of which are near TG Jones locations. This is part of a broader plan by Morrisons to shut 100 loss-making small stores. The closures will significantly impact towns such as Stevenage in Hertfordshire, Bracknell in Berkshire, and Orpington in Greater London, each losing two post offices in a matter of months. Notably, Telford's last post office is set to close in January.
The majority of these lost sites replaced former crown post offices, which provided a full suite of services, including identity and passport checks, driving license, and banking operations. Regions such as Essex, the West Midlands, Wales, Suffolk, and Hertfordshire have been particularly affected. In Essex, six post offices in TG Jones stores are closing, with Clacton-on-Sea and Brentwood shutting in January, following closures in Basildon, Southend-on-Sea, Harlow, and East Ham. Additionally, five are closing in the West Midlands and four in Wales.
