TG Jones post office closures to reach 70 by early 2027
The loss of branches in the former WH Smith chain affects access to postal, banking and identity services as the Post Office seeks replacement operators.
Loading… Բեռնվում է…
The loss of branches in the former WH Smith chain affects access to postal, banking and identity services as the Post Office seeks replacement operators.
Seventy Post Office branches inside TG Jones stores across the UK have closed or are scheduled to close by early 2027, according to the Guardian’s analysis of branch records published on 24 October. That is more than a third of the chain’s former branch network.
TG Jones operated 180 post offices before creditors approved its restructuring in July 2026. At that stage, as many as 60 closures had been feared. Private equity firm Modella bought and renamed the former WH Smith high-street chain in 2025.
| Status | Branches |
|---|---|
| Closed during 2026 by 24 October | 36 |
| Further closures scheduled by early 2027 | 34 |
Most of the sites being lost replaced Crown post offices: large branches directly operated by the Post Office. Those branches offered identity and passport checks, driving-licence services and banking operations alongside postal services. The closures therefore affect access to more than somewhere to send letters and parcels.
More than 6,800 bank branches have closed across the UK, the Guardian reported. In evidence to a parliamentary inquiry, the Post Office said its network plays a critical role in protecting access to banking. Telford’s last post office is scheduled to close in January 2027.
The satellite operator expects access to more than twice OneWeb’s current bandwidth in return for spending in 2027–2034, with initial IRIS² services expected from 2030.
3 min
Mole Meade, a senior member of postal workers’ union CWU, warned that closures would leave some areas as “postal deserts”. He criticised what he described as a long-term strategy of cutting costs and pursuing profit with little regard for communities that depend on the services.
The Post Office said TG Jones and other high-street retailers face challenging trading conditions. It said prospective operators had expressed interest in every confirmed closure location, with more than 40 applications in some places. The company committed to replacing every closing TG Jones branch and said it was progressing applications as quickly as possible.
Those applications are not completed replacements. As of the Guardian’s 24 October report, only Stirling had reopened following a TG Jones closure. Temporary branches are planned after closures in Maidenhead and Uxbridge, while a permanent replacement in Ipswich is scheduled to open in November 2026.
Microsoft reported $33.17 billion in Azure revenue and a 22% year-over-year decline in Windows OEM and devices revenue. Its reporting overhaul brings quarterly disclosure of Azure’s dollar contribution.
2 min
The US wireless carrier’s third-quarter service revenue rose 6% to $19.4 billion as it raised its expectations for the full year.
1 min