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USPS Saturday Delivery Changes in August

Service will stop letter delivery on weekends, continue packages drop offs.

The U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering letters on Saturdays beginning in August, but it will continue distributing packages six days a week.

Officials made the announcement on Wednesday, noting that starting the week of Aug. 5, the USPS Saturday delivery schedule will change. USPS will deliver letters Monday through Friday instead of the current Monday through Saturday schedule. However, it will continue dropping off packages six days a week.

Cutting mail delivery on Saturdays will save the struggling USPS $2 billion a year, it reports. In the last fiscal year, the organization recorded a $15.9 billion loss.
“We developed this approach by working with our customers to understand their delivery needs and by identifying creative ways to generate significant cost savings”

Package volume increases

Officials had asked to change the USPS Saturday delivery schedule for both mail and packages. However, a 14-percent increase in package volume since 2010 pushed officials to stick with a six-day delivery schedule for parcels, USPS reports.

“The Postal Service is advancing an important new approach to delivery that reflects the strong growth of our package business and responds to the financial realities resulting from America’s changing mailing habits,” adds Patrick Donahoe, postmaster general and CEO of USPS. “We developed this approach by working with our customers to understand their delivery needs and by identifying creative ways to generate significant cost savings.”

Delivery to P.O. Box addresses will continue on Saturdays. The announcement did not address whether Saturday pickups will continue.

A spokeswoman told EcommerceBytes she did not know if that service would continue and that more information regarding that topic will be announced in the coming weeks.

According to USPS, 70 percent of Americans support the switch to a five-day letter delivery schedule. Officials expect that number to increase with the announcement that packages will still be dropped off six days a week.

“Our customers see strong value in the national delivery platform we provide, and maintaining a six-day delivery schedule for packages is an important part of that platform,” Donahoe continues. “As consumers increasingly use and rely on delivery services—especially due to the rise of ecommerce—we can play an increasingly vital role as a delivery provider of choice, and as a driver of growth opportunities for America’s businesses.”

The increase in package volume is expected to continue, officials note.


One Comment

  1. Leslie Farnsworth says:

    I understand the USPS need to cut costs–and in many ways, reducing some service makes sense. However, the news made me wistful! Although I mostly get junk, I still look forward to getting the mail each day. And when I do get real mail, I’m over the moon! It reminds me of times in my life before e-mail when snail mail provided one of the few links back to family and friends.

    To honor the USPS, a friend and I have started a postcard/letter campaign: http://www.lesliefarnsworth.com/blog/2013/2/6/a-new-media-salute-to-old-media.html

    Join in!

    Reply

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