New Zealand Post, KFC get resourceful

The 170-year-old postal service of New Zealand confirmed Tuesday it had partnered with US fast food chain KFC to deliver their chicken dishes in a trial in the North Island city of Tauranga.

The move was part of New Zealand Post's fight to survive in a rapidly changing world. "All post offices around the world are struggling with what to do when mail disappears," NZ Post spokesman Mike Stewart told "The Guardian."

"We want to survive for another 100 years, but we urgently need to diversify our business," he added.

The number of letters sent in New Zealand has halved in the last decade, and postal delivery has been reduced to three days a week to save costs.

Mutually beneficial deal

The chief executive of KFC parent company Restaurant Brands, Ian Letele, said the decision to join forces with NZ Post was "due to their expertise in logistics," the "New Zealand Herald" reported.

Restaurant Brands is planning to roll out home delivery to between a third and half of KFC stores across the country.

"NZ Post has an extensive delivery distribution network, and KFC is available in most towns nationwide; and so we hope to service the home delivery needs of many more KFC customers throughout New Zealand with the help of NZ Post," Letele said.

hg/jd (dpa, NZ Herald)