Rama has operated Lambs Pharmacy for 30 years and had been set to retire by the end of last year. <\/p>\n
Lambs Pharmacy on Karangahape Rd will lose its NZ Post service this week. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n
Once the post office is removed, he said he will have to \u201creassess everything\u201d. <\/p>\n
The stress has taken a toll on Rama, who said he has thought about the matter every night for the past six months. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been kicked in the gut,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Rama said the reshaping affects \u201cmum and pops stores\u201d, which have been put under pressure at a moment\u2019s notice. <\/p>\n
They feel as though they have not been heard by NZ Post and Rama is speaking out as he wants \u201cto try and help as many others who have no voice\u201d, he said. <\/p>\n
In a previous statement, NZ Post said Lambs Pharmacy was chosen because of its \u201clower customer use compared to other nearby locations\u201d. <\/p>\n
But Rama said there was no way to accurately measure customer use until the City Rail Link (CRL) opens and at present, \u201cwe are comparing apples with cheese\u201d. <\/p>\n
He has called for NZ Post to give the pharmacy more time. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been through hell but now we are waiting for this vibrancy to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suresh Rama, owner of Lambs Pharmacy, describes NZ Post’s move to close the post shop as being “kicked in the gut”. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n
Mayor Wayne Brown supported the petition earlier this year and agreed that \u201cthere is likely to be more foot traffic in that area later on this year when the CRL opens\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI encourage people to use local businesses to help keep them afloat, because this is a tough time for everyone.\u201d <\/p>\n
Rama said the post shop embodied \u201cthe heart and soul of K Rd\u201d and was an accessible hub for all customers. <\/p>\n
By keeping it open, \u201ceverybody benefits, not just the post shop, but the community\u201d, he said. <\/p>\n
NZ Post\u2019s general manager consumer Sarah Sandoval said the company appreciates this change is difficult for the owner of Lamb\u2019s Pharmacy and the local community. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese decisions are not taken lightly, and our data shows more local customers use nearby NZ Post stores, including one just 400m away,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNZ Post is adapting to significant changes in customer behaviour and we need to make changes to ensure our service is sustainable for the future. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve carefully considered feedback from retailers, customers and the community before confirming our final decisions in March.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said NZ Post reviewed its decision for Lamb\u2019s Pharmacy more than once before confirming the outcome. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhile it is a well-loved local business, our data shows lower customer use compared to other nearby NZ Post locations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been working closely with the store owner to support them through the transition, and are making sure customers know where they can continue to access NZ Post services moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said after NZ Post services are removed from this store on Thursday, the nearest location will be 400m away at NZ Post Symonds St. <\/p>\n
NZ Post services are also available at NZ Post Wellesley St West, 1km away, she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rama has operated Lambs Pharmacy for 30 years and had been set to retire by the end of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":479915,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[14645,138,115,6789,17163,2082,302,241449,1362,111,139,69,1118,6270,2738,84095,3194,241450,46728,3117,2642,108573,223,61],"class_list":["post-479914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-beloved","tag-business","tag-calls","tag-closing","tag-closure","tag-for","tag-its","tag-lastditch","tag-made","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-of","tag-office","tag-owner","tag-pharmacist","tag-pharmacy","tag-pharmacys","tag-plea","tag-post","tag-rd","tag-reconsider","tag-the","tag-to"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=479914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/479915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=479914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=479914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=479914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}