I’m glad there are still postal services available in the village.Stefan Krattiger
Mayor of Aegerten

The grocery in Aegerten doubles as a postal agency.

Branch with partner

The best thing that could have happened to me

For the past three years, Verena Gnägi has been running a postal agency in her grocery shop in the village of Aegerten. For her, it’s a second source of income – and the longer opening hours are a benefit for the local residents.

While the salesperson sticks stamps onto envelopes, Ueli Hirsbrunner is putting a few fresh products for dinner in his shopping basket. After paying, he opens the post office box for his gardening company and pulls out several consignments. The grocery in Aegerten doubles as a postal agency. Since June 2013, owner Verena Gnägi has been accepting letters, and customers have been picking up parcels or making inpayments with Swiss Post or Maestro cards. Gardening company owner Hirsbrunner says he doesn’t miss the post office in the village at all. For him and his business, the postal agency is very convenient. “It has longer opening hours than the old post office, so I can now drop off my consignments after work.”

Swiss Post remains in the village

Many people in Aegerten feel the same way as Ueli Hirsbrunner: “There was a good deal of concern, particularly before the old post office was closed. Afterwards, people learned to appreciate the agency in the village shop,” says Mayor Stefan Krattiger. He would of course have preferred to keep the post office. But given the circumstances, he thinks integrating the branch into the village shop was the best solution. “I’m glad there are still postal services available in the village.”

The best thing for the shop owner

For Verena Gnägi, the owner of the grocery, the postal agency is “a second mainstay,” as she says. “It’s the best thing that could have happened to me and my three employees.” It’s difficult to make ends meet nowadays with a small shop. Thanks to the postal agency, she now has an additional source of income – and the work is more varied too.