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The United States Postal Service (USPS) is shutting down more than 20 Contract Postal Units (CPUs) across the country by the end of September. The closures, which affect locations in states including North Dakota, South Dakota, Arizona, California, and Ohio, will reduce convenient access to postal services in retail stores, libraries, and pharmacies, sparking concern in affected communities.
What’s Happening This Month
Local news reports confirmed closures of more than 20 CPUS across seven states by the USPS, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Arizona, California, and Ohio, by September 30. These closures come amid ongoing cost-cutting efforts and follow a recent announcement of temporary holiday price hikes. Critics argue the cuts will disproportionately affect rural and suburban residents who rely on these units for convenience.
What Is a CPU?
A Contract Postal Unit is a retail counter inside a private business such as a grocery store, pharmacy, or library. While CPUs function much like post offices, they are staffed by employees of the hosting business, not USPS workers. Under their contracts, USPS can terminate agreements with 120 days’ notice, leaving businesses and communities with little say in the decision.
Closures in North and South Dakota
In Bismarck, North Dakota, USPS is shutting down three CPUs located inside Family Fare grocery stores (KFYR-TV). After September, customers will only be able to purchase stamps at store counters, but they won’t be able to weigh or mail packages. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, CPUs inside Hy-Vee and Lewis Drug stores are also closing (Argus Leader), leaving the city with just two full-service post offices.
Closures in Arizona
In Maricopa, the CPU inside the city’s Library & Cultural Center will close on September 27, despite efforts from officials and lawmakers to intervene (City of Maricopa). In Phoenix, an unknown number of CPUs are also scheduled to close on September 30 (Fox 10 Phoenix). Local small businesses, which rely on nearby mailing services, warn that the closures could raise costs and slow down operations.
Closures in California and Ohio
Los Angeles will lose a Chinatown CPU that has served residents for 26 years (CBS Los Angeles). In Ohio, USPS is ending contracts at CPUs inside a Mariemont Ace Hardware and a Meijer store in Greater Cincinnati (Yahoo News). Residents worry about longer wait times at remaining branches, while business owners say the closures could disrupt shipping convenience for customers and vendors alike.
Why USPS Says It’s Happening
While USPS hasn’t provided a direct reason for the closures, the agency maintains that CPUs are being closed in places where nearby full-service post offices can handle demand. “Doing so better enables us to fulfill our commitment to serve our communities with efficient and reliable access to retail services,” a spokesperson told Fox 10 Phoenix. Since CPUs are independent businesses, USPS argues that ending contracts is a contractual right and an efficiency measure.
Impact on Residents and Rural Communities
The shutdowns are expected to cause challenges for residents in rural and suburban areas. Without CPUs, customers will need to travel farther to mail packages or buy postage, with elderly and disabled residents particularly impacted. Advocates warn that these closures will worsen the divide between urban areas with multiple postal facilities and smaller communities with limited access.
Reactions and Pushback
Community leaders and organizations, including the American Postal Workers Union, have criticized the closures as harmful to both residents and retail workers. The APWU is actively pressing USPS to reconsider, arguing that shutting down CPUs undermines service accessibility and eliminates jobs tied to postal retail operations. Despite local advocacy efforts in Maricopa and Cincinnati, USPS has not reversed any of the closures.
What It Means for the Future of USPS
The CPU closures are part of USPS’s broader cost-saving strategy, which includes service consolidations and seasonal price hikes. Observers say the changes reflect USPS’s ongoing struggle to balance financial pressures with its universal service mandate (Flatwater Free Press). Critics warn that shrinking the USPS retail footprint could create lasting service gaps unless structural reforms are introduced to stabilize the agency’s finances.