Due to a steady decrease in the number of visitors, Omniva will close the Õru post office in Valgamaa from 20 January and will install a parcel machine in the village of Õru.
„Only about one parcel a day passed through the Õru post office last year. By contrast, the nearest parcel terminal, in Tsirguliina, handles around 15 parcels a day. The fact that consumers prefer to use a parcel machine rather than a post office is the main reason why the footfall at post offices has dropped to such an extent that it no longer makes sense to keep the post office open,” explained Rita Kasesalu, Head of Omniva's Southern Region.
In order to adapt to the changed consumption habits of the residents, Omniva will close the Õru post office on 20 January and install a parcel machine at the Õru library.
In addition, Omniva also offers the possibility to rent a personal parcel machine for people who receive and send parcels frequently. Parcels, groceries, etc. can be sent and received through the machine. Any courier company, not just Omniva, can drop off parcels at the machine. For more information and ordering:picapac.com/et/ .
The Õru library remains the closest postage stamp reseller to Õru. A letterbox for mailing letters is also located at the Õru library.
All post offices, parcel machines, stamp dealers and letterbox locations in Valga County can be found on the Omniva website: www.omniva.ee/asukohad . A wide range of stamps and other parcel and postal supplies are also available in the Omniva e-shop:www.omniva.ee/epood .
For residents who are not ready for digital solutions, Omniva will continue to offer a personalised postal service - the possibility to have a postman delivered to your home or work free of charge if there is no post office in the area. The courier will be able to buy stamps and envelopes, send and receive letters and universal service parcels, pay bills and order periodicals.
People's consumption habits have changed dramatically as technology has evolved. The number of paper letters sent has decreased by 78% in ten years - statistically, an Estonian sends less than one letter a year. In the same period, the volume of parcels has increased by 216% thanks to the growth of e-commerce, but the preference for receiving and sending parcels is mainly through parcel terminals, which has led to a steady decline in post office visits.
In 2026, Omniva plans to bring the Estonian postal network more in line with the changing needs and habits of society. As a result, there would be a minimum of one post office in each county in Estonia, and additional post offices in the more densely populated cities of Tallinn and Tartu - a total of 19 offices according to the preliminary analysis. Currently, there are 35 post offices and a few dozen post offices in Estonia.