For years, the Phoenix Main Post Office on East Van Buren Street has been popular for its friendly staff and late hours. It’s the only location in the area that stays open until 9:30 pm., but starting July 18, it’ll be closing in the early evening, along with all the other post offices in the Valley.
The Show went to the post office around 8 p.m. to catch customers looking to ship out packages in the last hour and a half of this location’s late night operations. Many of the people we talked to only come at night, and they were worried about how the new hours will affect their shipping habits.
“I work all day. I’m a nurse. I have a 12-hour shift and … I get off at 9 p.m. and I zip here … So many people come here late, so many, and people have businesses and they want to get things out right away," Sonya Edmond said.
The Show found she was right, encountering quite a few small business owners that routinely drop off packages well past 5:30 p.m.
Nicole Torres, Andrew Costanzo and Luiza Alvarez are just three small-business owners that have used the post office because of its later hours.
Two self-serve kiosks will still be available 24/7, but this more-limited option isn’t the best for business owners sending out multiple packages or people shipping outside of the U.S.
The on-duty postal workers declined to comment on the new hours.
The Phoenix Main Post Office was the last one in the state to have its retail window open.
