Deutsche Post has recently fulfilled its duty to have easily accessible branches in all larger communities and cities. In mid-April, 145 so-called mandatory locations were vacant, 29 fewer than at the end of January, the Federal Network Agency said when asked by the dpa. Many of the locations are only temporarily vacant as part of the usual fluctuation.

The vast majority of post offices are retailers who also have a post office counter in their shop, such as a kiosk or supermarket. According to an ordinance, there must be at least one post office in every municipality with more than 2,000 inhabitants. With a population of 4,000 or more, a branch in connected built-up areas may not be further away than two kilometers. There are 12,000 mandatory locations nationwide, only slightly more than one percent of which are vacant.

However, structural change in rural areas is causing difficulties for Swiss Post. Because if the last supermarket in a village closes and there are no other suitable shops left, the Bonn-based group will no longer have any partners for its services. According to the Post, the value of unoccupied mandatory locations has been fluctuating at a low level for a long time. In fact, the number was 140 at the end of December 2022. It went up in January, but has since fallen back to the December level.