Another branch in Munich is closed: the post office still wants to keep the service
Munich – It must have been a long time ago for many people to write a letter on pretty paper with a fountain pen and then stick a stamp on the envelope. Nevertheless, it annoys most people when a post office closes again. In 2021, four branches closed in Munich – including those on Fraunhoferstraße in the Glockenbachviertel.
Post will close more branches in Munich
Another five will follow this year: From April it will no longer be possible to post letters in the Alter Hof in the old town or on Theresienstrasse. However, there is still no replacement for either city.
Three more post offices will close at the end of September: those on Korbinianstrasse in Milbertshofen, those on Romanplatz and those on Hofmannstrasse in Obersendling. There is already a replacement for the last one: a post office opened at Aidenbachstrasse 139 at the beginning of October. At the end of March there will also be another one on Fallstraße. The post office is still looking at Romanplatz. And in Milbertshofen, the post office at the Hausleiter stationery at Illungshofstraße 19 is being expanded.
Signature campaign against branch closure on Bergmannstraße
All of this will be explained by Helmut Muhr from Deutsche Post on Thursday at an information event. The Economics Department had organized this because citizens and city councils react so upset when the post office closes around the corner.
More than 4,000 signatures from the district committee at Schwanthalerhöhe, for example, when the branch on Bergmannstraße was supposed to close. According to the head of the BA, Sybille Stöhr (Greens), it didn’t do anything: the post office is gone and expensive apartments are expected to be built there. However, she never received an answer to her collection campaign from the post office, says Stöhr.
Muhr was sent by the post office to appease. He has worked for Swiss Post for over 40 years and has seen its transformation since privatization in the 1990s. Today his official job title is: “Bavarian Regional Policy Officer”. Muhr makes it clear: there are only two more post offices in Germany where officials sit behind counters in their own building: in Berlin and in Bonn.
When a post office closes, it is usually a bank that decides
Swiss Post works with partners everywhere. Between 2006 and 2009, the Post branches in top locations (for example those on Fraunhoferstrasse or in the Alter Hof in the old town) were transferred to Postbank.
Contrary to what the name might suggest, the Postbank has nothing to do with the post office. The company was sold to Deutsche Bank. This means that closing post offices is usually a decision by the bank. And it is currently thinning out its network enormously: around 750 branches in Germany are to become 550 by the end of 2023.
More Packstations and partner branches in Munich
Nevertheless, the postal service in Munich has not deteriorated: Helmut Muhr from the post office tried to explain that. Because the company not only works with Deutsche Bank, but also with supermarkets, gas stations, stationery shops and hardware stores. According to the Post, there are now 127 branches in Munich. In 1994 there were only 70. The number of packing stations where you can put your own parcel has increased more than fivefold – to 166. The post office would like to increase this number even more, says Muhr. But finding a location is difficult.
From his point of view, the Swiss Post system of working with partners has proven its worth. He is certain that many a small shop would have closed long ago if the post office weren’t attracting customers. At the same time, the change is great. Because every time a partner closes, Swiss Post has to look around again. Gone are the days when everyone knew where the nearest post office was right off the bat.
What do you think of Swiss Post’s strategy? Write it in the comments below this article or send an email to [email protected]!
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