Coronavirus: Australia Post closes major Blackburn outlet as business slows
Australia Post has closed its corporate-owned Blackburn shop as the company manages a downturn in trade due to the coronavirus lockdown measures. But staff are thankfully not out of a job.
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Australia Post has temporarily closed one of its biggest Whitehorse outlets to retail services as it manages a slowdown in trade due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Staff from the Blackburn post shop have been redeployed because of declining foot traffic this week.
The site, which is owned by Australia Post, will still operate post office box services and the parcel hatch between 6.30am and 1pm daily.
Whitehorse Leader understands smaller post offices in the area, which are licensee-owned, have cut back their trading hours in a response to the economic downturn.
It’s believed staff from the Blackburn outlet have been redeployed to the outlet in Forest Hill.
Retail services are still available in Blackburn South, Blackburn North, Laburnum, Nunawading and Forest Hill.
Australia Post spokesman Tim Whittaker said: “We have elected to temporarily close Blackburn Post Shop due to declining foot traffic in the challenges of COVID-19.”
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But customer Marco, who didn’t want his last name to be used, said feared for the outlet’s future
“I go there pretty much every second day, I live locally and I receive and send stuff,” he said.
Marco said a number of customers and staff had wondered about the shop’s future beyond the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m just disappointed and heartbroken, some of those people who work behind those counters know my family,” he said.