TG Jones restructuring puts 70 post offices into the closure count
70 post offices inside Britain’s TG Jones stores have closed or are scheduled to close by early 2027, exceeding a third of the chain’s former total. The count combines 36 completed closures with 34 planned ones. The Post Office promises replacements, but alternative premises are at different stages of preparation across the affected towns.
Economics & Markets··Evening
Thirty-six branches have closed and 34 more are scheduled
70 post offices inside Britain’s TG Jones retail stores have closed or are scheduled to close by early 2027. The Guardian’s analysis of Post Office data counted 36 closures this year and 34 still planned. That exceeds a third of the 180 branches hosted by the chain before creditors approved its restructuring in July. Earlier expectations had centred on as many as 60 closures.[1]
The restructuring also affects post offices in England’s West Midlands region. Six locations there are caught in the closure programme, including shops and their postal counters in Birmingham and surrounding towns. The regional closures form part of the withdrawal of services hosted inside TG Jones premises as the retailer shuts stores.[1], [2]
The former WH Smith high street chain is shrinking
Modella, the private equity owner, bought and renamed the former WH Smith high street business last year. Up to 150 of the 450 acquired shops are expected to close. Those shop totals include premises with and without post offices. WH Smith outlets at railway stations, hospitals and airports were outside the sale and remain with the listed former parent company.[1]
Many of the affected postal counters had replaced larger, directly operated crown post offices. The earlier branches offered services including identity and passport checks, driving-licence transactions and banking. Mole Meade, a representative of the Communication Workers Union, warned that the closures would leave gaps in access to postal services.[1]
Replacement branches are at different stages
A replacement has opened in Stirling, Scotland, after its TG Jones closure. A permanent branch is planned in Ipswich, England, for November, while temporary alternatives are planned for Maidenhead and Uxbridge, also in England. The Post Office said every confirmed closing location had attracted interest from potential operators, with more than 40 applications in some cases. It committed to replacing every affected branch and moving applications forward quickly. The Guardian approached TG Jones for comment.[1]
