Dunedin Post Offices to Survive as USPS Reviews Branches for Closure

The United States Postal Service released a list of about 3,700 offices nationwide that are being reviewed for possible closure.

The Dunedin locations at 1350 County Road 1 and Ace Hardware, 1750 Main St., have been spared from the list of branches under review.

Tampa and St.Petersburg-area branches that are under review:

1. Clearwater Beach (Zip Code 33767)
2. Midtown, St. Petersburg (Zip Code 33705)
3. Produce, Tampa (Zip Code 33610)

The review process does not mean closure is a sure thing.

The USPS began reviewing the viability of its branches in 2009, with a list of more than 3,300 branches. Most survived, with only about 170 still under review by year’s end.

The post office updated the Public Regulatory Commission on the review process in January 2010, explaining the post offices that faced closure were “in relatively close proximity to one another where consolidations might be feasible without compromising customer access.”

Postmaster Patrick Donahoe referred to evolving customer behavior in making Tuesday’s announcement.

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service's retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7," Donahoe said in a statement to the media. "Our customer's habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business."

The Huffington Post says the USPS lost more than $8 billion in 2010. Its article describes an alternative to the traditional branch, the so-called Village Post Office.

“By working with third-party retailers, we’re creating easier, more convenient access to our products and services when and where our customers want them,” Donahoe said today. “The Village Post Office will offer another way for us to meet our customers’ needs.”