Online Media Daily has reported that "The number of American adults using online coupons rose by 39% to 36 million between 2005 and 2008, according to a new survey conducted by Simmons/Experian Research and Coupons, Inc. Online users account for nearly one-quarter (24%) of the total 148 million consumers who use coupons, compared to 22% market penetration as of last year. Meanwhile, newspaper coupon users declined from 96 million in 2005 to 92 million last year. Overall coupon usage has declined by 1 million since 2005, the survey found."

The Age has reported that "The consumer watchdog has cleared the way for Australia Post to seek government approval for a five cent increase in the cost of a basic postage stamp. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says is not objecting to the postal monopoly's plan to charge 55 cents from September 15."

The Financial Times has said that "It is time for an attack on the weight of annual reports. In the UK each year we hear a plea for sympathy for postal workers who deliver these heavy tomes, and it is not as if they weigh any less in other countries. This year was no exception. Banks, in particular, produced new required disclosures and found themselves providing still greater explanations as a result of the credit crunch. The general thinking, and not just among postmen, is that these ever-expanding reports should be made simpler and shorter."

The Federal Times has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service wants to exempt its competitive products — like Priority Mail and package services — from the universal service obligation. Doing so would allow it to cut back on offerings in sparsely populated areas where business is thin."

The Lexington Herald-Leader has reported that "Local governments in Kentucky will now be able to notify news organizations about their special meetings by e-mail. The new provision in Kentucky's open meetings law took effect earlier this month, and was touted as a money and time saver. It allows local governments to send the meeting notices electronically to any agency member or media organization that asks in writing for e-mail communications. "It gives the media and the public more timely notification of the special meetings as well," Allison Martin, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office said. "Because you never can ensure when a mailed letter is going to arrive by the postal service."

ArtVoice has noted that "the US Postal Service’s statistics on undeliverable mail indicate Buffalo has some long-term, chronic vacancies. There are 19,691 undeliverable addresses in Buffalo—14.3 percent of all addresses in the city."

The 2008 Winton M. Blount Postal History Symposium jointly sponsored by the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and the American Philatelic Society will be held in the museum's Blount conference room on September 26 and 27, 2008. This will be the third annual national conference for academic scholars, philatelists, and industry experts to discuss their research into the history of postal organizations and systems. The theme for the 2008 Symposium is war and the mail, broadly interpreted to include everything related to defense and the postal system in all countries and eras.

According to the Courier, Express, and Postal Blog, "Firms that audit the bills of private sector carriers looking for refunds for missing service guarantees on overnight, second-day air, and ground services, have found that private sector carriers miss their service commitments on as many as 4% of all shipments. Comparing the Postal Service to private sector carriers suggests that it is possible for them to offer the same or better service quality."

The Postal Service has created the attached addressing fact sheets for commercial flat-size mail to help mailers and suppliers understand and visualize the new address requirements for flat-size mail that will take effect in March 2009. The USPS distributed the fact sheets to MTAC Work Group 119, whose members were encouraged to share the fact sheets with their own association members. Fact sheet for Standard Mail flats; Fact sheet for First Class Mail flats; Fact sheet for Package Services; Fact sheet for Periodicals.

CargoNewsAsia has reported that "The Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA), on behalf of Astar Air Cargo Holdings' pilots, is suing Deutsche Post subsidiary DHL to block it from switching its domestic air volume to United Parcel Service (UPS)."

July 30, 2008

From PR Web: "Earth Class Mail Corp., the global leader in delivering ordinary postal mail through the Internet, announced that its customers now have the ability to deposit paper checks received in their Earth Class Mail accounts directly into their bank accounts in a single step. Depositing checks online without handling any paper mail and deposit slips saves time and energy that would have been expended in trips to the bank or the post office, and prevents the loss of earned interest from checks that can sit for days or even weeks in a traditional mailbox or PO Box before being collected and processed."

One letter writer told the Rocky Mountain News: "People have the right to mail you something as long as it isn't dangerous or lewd. There are whole industries out there that rely on the post office for an affordable way to advertise. Smaller businesses want to tell you they are there because they don't have the advertising budget that the Wal-Marts and McDonald's have. In case you haven't noticed, the economy isn't doing that great. Before you want to toss 700,000 workers on the street (and the related industries that rely on us), think about the whole picture rather than a very minor personal inconvenience."

National Association of Letter Carriers President William Young told delegates at the NALC Convention in Boston last week that “very little has been decided” about the possibility the Postal Service will extend to city letter carriers its pending “Voluntary Early Retirement” program for clerks, mail handlers and their supervisors.

Click2Houston has reported that "New ZIP codes in three Houston-area communities are causing headaches for some residents, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday. The U.S. Postal Service said that due to population growth, three ZIP codes in the Houston area have changed. Those cities include Baytown, Richmond and Sugar Land. Some residents said the change that took affect on July 1 has brought a lot of trouble. One woman said her bank, insurance and credit card companies do not recognize the new ZIP code."

KVOA has reported that " It's your average morning at the Post Office. People filing through mail, tossing out the junk they don't need. Yet, there's something missing in the lobby: a recycling bin for all that wasted paper. Rob Soler with the Postal Service says, "We're in the process of looking at how to effectively recycle the customer discarded mail in our lobbies."

Here are two interesting stories:

• Mail delivered 107 years late.
• A letter lost in the postal system for nearly 60 years recently turned up in the mailbox of a Lawrence woman

Manchester Online has reported that "Town hall chiefs have met with Post Office executives over plans to run postal services from libraries and other public buildings. Five post offices in the area are earmarked for closure under the controversial national review."

The Associated Press has reported that "Two post offices were evacuated Tuesday in southeastern Ohio after the discovery of objects that appeared to be pipe bombs, authorities said. No injuries were reported."

According to China Daily, "With fuel costs continually on the rise, China's private delivery companies are among the hardest-hit sectors reporting declining profit margins and witnessing increasing pressure from major international couriers as they increase efforts to make inroads into China's domestic markets. Pushed by the dismal outlook in the delivery industry - costs have been driven up by 16 percent since fuel prices were raised in late June - private couriers in China are struggling to swallow the losses before any price hike becomes possible."

CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:

Despite turnover figures that had risen noticeably, the Finnish post office, Itella, had to face the collapsing of its profits in the first half-year of 2008.
Market expectations that were not met characterised the TNT’s result for the half-year.
China Post is still set on its course of growth. The express division is still the greatest generator of growth.
France is seeking solutions for the financing of the universal service. Following the conclusion, in the last week, of a new service contract between La Poste and the French state which will run from 2008 to 2012, the "hunt is now on" for the best possible means of financing the activities in question. The objective of the contract is to define La Poste’s responsibilities before the market is gradually opened up, starting in 2009.
Post Danmark is intending to heighten security following a number of raids on post offices.
Swiss Post International Germany is intending to combine its sales activities with those of primeMail GmbH, the joint venture that has been established with the Hermes Logistics Group.
In a survey of 2,000 adults conducted by the Postwatch consumer protection organisation, 43 percent said they thought the service provided by the British post office was worse than it was two years ago. In the view of 42 percent of those questioned, the standard of the service had not altered. Only 14 percent testified that Royal Mail was providing a better service.
The Belgian La Poste is not having to face an attack on the Belgian domestic mail market for the moment - at least not from TNT. Dutch postal and courier group has put its ambitions for the country actually on hold.
In contrast to a public declaration of intent made in January, Deutsche Post is not going to outsource its IT management to Hewlett Packard (HP).
Only a few days after the end of the strike, the Brazilian post office, ECT, announced the introduction of price rises.

The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News. (We appreciate the courtesy extended by CEP News to help whet your appetite for more of what CEP offers.)

From Business Wire: "SkyPostal Networks, Inc., an international mail distribution company specializing in hand delivery of commercial mail and periodicals to the Latin America-Caribbean region (LAC), announced today the election of four new members of the board of directors at its recent shareholders meeting. Mathijs van Houweninge, Florian M. Schuhbauer, and Jose Misrahi will join the recent addition of S. David Fineman as Independent Directors. Christian J. Weber will serve as the Director Europe Sales and Service. Mr. Klaus Knappik has been appointed Advisor to the Board of Directors. He is currently a consultant in the Postal Industry and most recently was Chairman of the Board of Deutsche Post Global Mail in Bonn, Germany. From 2004 to 2007 he developed Deutsche Post Global Mail (DHL) to become the world’s largest international mail network with over 2 billion Euros in revenues and the second largest US mail organization behind the USPS."

Media Daily News has noted that "Newspapers' Web sites continue to grow--with the number of unique visitors increasing 12.2% in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, according to the Newspaper Association of America, which pegged it at 66.4 million people. That's over 40% of all Internet users in the United States. The problem? Newspapers can't monetize their online traffic near the level necessary to offset ongoing print losses."

The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) has told its members that "The Postal Service is unable to demonstrate that it saves money by outsourcing, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, because it has no comprehensive mechanism to measure savings."

Transport Intelligence has reported that:

World Trade Organisation (WTO) director-general Pascal Lamy has announced that after days of negotiations, ministers have failed to agree on the liberalisation of trade in agriculture and industrial products. That has led to the collapse of the whole trade negotiation process which, if successful, would have resulted in a major boost for economies in the developing and developed world.
Global integrated express service provider TNT yesterday (July 29) officially launched its newly designed and expanded Singapore country depot and enhanced customer contact centre.

Jiji Press has reported that "Japan Post Service Co., a mail delivery unit of Japan Post Holdings Co., said it will collaborate with French postal service operator La Poste in strengthening its international logistics businesses. Starting in October, the two will offer distribution services between Japan and Europe using the networks of their respective logistics units. Japan Post Service Chairman Norio Kitamura and La Poste Chairman Jean-Paul Bailly reached an agreement on the three-year tie-up, which is effective until 2011, at their meeting in Paris Tuesday."

Hellmail has reported that:

Sarah Chambers, Chief Executive at Postcomm, is to stand down in September. Her replacement is to be Tim Brown. Mr Brown joined Postcomm at the beginning of 2008 as director of market development, having worked previously at DHL Express UK and Royal Mail.
The Ministry of Interno and Poste Italiane have together established an agreement that will link Italy's main postal operator, Poste Italiane with key bodies such as Inps, Istat, and government departments to help reduce fraud.
After extensive trials, Royal Mail has finally chosen a supplier for the hand-held computers it wants to introduce to its delivery network. Postal workers across the country will soon become very familiar with the new CN3 units as Royal Mail takes one further step forward on its modernisation plan. The contract has gone to Intermec which will be providing some 25,000 units. Royal Mail said the CN3 hand-helds were easy to use and had fared well during trials. The units can scan barcodes and log digital signatures, similar to those already being used by other parcel carriers alerting the sender of items like special delivery within 15 minutes. The CN3 is also fitted with GPS. 

July 29, 2008

A copy of the revised agenda for the August 5 – 7, 2008 meeting of the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) at U.S. Postal Service Headquarters has been posted on this site.

CNN has reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has announced it has received a seven-count indictment against Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). [EdNote: The senator, as most postal observers know, has long held an intense interest in the development of postal policy in this nation.]

PostInsight has reported that "Speaking at the 24th UPU Congress held in Geneva, Murray Martin, CEO, Pitney Bowes, proposed that the UPU launch a “Partnership for Postage Revenue Protection.” Martin said this partnership would contribute to the UPU’s strategic objectives of increasing the integrity, reliability and security of postal services, and assist postal operators that have a low mail density per capita develop solutions to stop revenue leakage. Martin said the UPU is well positioned to leverage the technical expertise of the Consultative Committee members to deal with this."

According to the North-West Evening Mail, "postal outreach services due to replace axed post offices could also be under threat because of a cash shortfall."

As the Bangor Daily News has noted, "Summer residents of Sutton Island have lost their special private postal service, and there may be a moral to the story."

According to Transport Intelligence, "DHL was always going to face opposition to its plans to close the company's US air hub facility in Wilmington, Ohio. What has made the decision even more politically sensitive is the timing – during a US presidential election year."

Federal Register: "This document announces the Postal Service's filing of a notice concerning the addition of an Express Mail contract to the competitive product list. It also announces a related Commission review. DATES: Comments due July 31, 2008."

The Hindu has reported that "Important post offices in the city will function until 10 p.m., enabling customers to post registered letters without late fee. The service was launched here on Monday at the Ashok Nagar post office."

Express India has reported that "India Post will undergo a huge makeover in the coming months, with an aim to make the postal process more customer-oriented and provide better service to citizens, especially those in rural areas. MS Bali, who took over as the new Chief Postmaster General for the Maharashtra Circle last week, said that in the next month and-a-half, the department would work to make processes more efficient."

According to the Mail Online, "There has to be something seriously wrong with a business when 85 per cent of its customers think it has got no better over the past two years, while 43 per cent believe its services have got worse. Indeed, shareholders in any private company with a record like that would be demanding boardroom changes and a radical rescue plan to improve customer satisfaction. But when that company is a state-owned semi-monopoly like Royal Mail, the normal rules of business don’t apply."

According to Gizmodo, "Subscribers hoping that Netflix would get into the pay-per-view space will be slightly disappointed, as its CEO reiterates that they will always be in the subscription business."

July 28, 2008

According to Advertising Age, "Magazines have seen the sputtering economy punch holes in their projected ad sales all year. Total ad pages fell 7.4% in the first half of this year, according to the Publishers Information Bureau."

According to the New York Times, "The thud of the morning newspaper landing on front porches may one day be replaced with the beep of downloads onto a cellphone."

The UN News Centre has reported that "Chile, Spain and Uruguay are today launching a new electronic money transfer service which links their countries, using technology developed by the United Nations Universal Postal Union (UPU)."

Masthead Online has reported that "A delegation of representatives from Magazines Canada met with the Canada Post strategic review panel in Toronto last week to provide six recommendations on what the crown corporation should to do to strengthen its relationship with and improve services for the Canadian magazine industry."

DM News did a short interview with Postal Regulatory Commission Nanci Langley.

So....exactly where is the Postal Service regarding IMB implementation? Here's a message that was sent to the field from headquarters by Pritha Mehra VP, Business Mail Entry and Payment Technologies:

"You might have received questions around pricing and timing of the Intelligent Mail implementation scheduled for May 2009. We will be providing you talking points and further details on the implementation by next week. Please do not attempt to answer any implementation or pricing questions at this time.

"Following is the response you should provide at this time:

"The USPS has reviewed the responses to the Federal Register Notice on the Intelligent Mail barcode solution and will publish the final Federal Register Notice and Guide to Intelligent Mail shortly. The USPS is committed to deploying the Intelligent Mail barcode solution in May 2009. We are excited about this new technology and the information, visibility and value it provides. We will continue to work closely with our customers as they determine the Intelligent Mail Barcode solution that best meets their needs."

According to DM Weekly, "One respected industry analysis firm estimates that one in four UK mail order companies are now operating at a loss. Of nearly 900 mail order companies analysed, over 200 are currently rated by Plimsoll as being ‘in danger’."

The Daily Mail has noted that "Most people believe the postal service has declined or stayed the same over the past two years, according to new research today." See also This Is London.

The Financial Times has reported that "TNT, the Dutch postal group, on Monday said it was open to partnerships but was following a strategy designed for a standalone company. “We will always look into the benefits of partnerships,” Peter Bakker, chief executive, told reporters, giving a joint venture with Swiss Post for express parcel deliveries as an example. “But in general our strategy is one which can be deployed on an organic, standalone basis." While the Dutch company’s European parcel business has made it an attractive target for potential suitors, its slower-growing postal division is a potential sticking point. Its core Mail Netherlands operations saw a further drop in volumes in the quarter while wages have risen due to a new collective labour agreement that is not fully offset by cost cuts elsewhere. Mr Bakker said TNT’s dense road delivery network in Europe would prove an advantage with higher fuel costs if more of the parcel delivery business shifted from air to road." 

As Inc. magazine has noted, "The cost of producing and mailing catalogs has risen 55 percent over five years. For a company that sends 24 to 30 fat catalogs a year to tens of thousands of prospective customers, that represents a huge outlay." Consequently, a company such as "Successories would immediately scale back catalog printings and move full speed ahead on the Web initiative. There are other compelling reasons to transition from a print to an online catalog. An online catalog system will provide real-time flexibility to change inventory or pricing at any time and enable short-term promotions that are targeted and timely. This will make the company nimble and more profitable. Also, with the green movement in full throttle, the environmental benefits of reducing the number of print catalogs should be emphasized. We'll see a number of direct businesses, like catalogs, migrating toward the Web, and the smart ones will move quicker rather than slower. A lot of the challenge becomes helping customers through this change." 

Press Release: "Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Vice President of International Development Charles Prescott is attending the 24th Universal Postal Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. Prescott also is the chairman of the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) Consultative Committee (CC). During his report to the Congress on CC activities, Prescott announced that the Committee, during the next four-year cycle, would focus on address systems and change of address systems, as well as the related subject of sustainable development. “Addresses are the structural core of the postal system,” Prescott told delegates convened in Geneva. “Consequently, the availability and accuracy of addresses are critical elements in the health of both domestic systems and the international postal network."

From Business Wire: "Omega United, Inc. dba SkyPostal, an international mail distribution company specializing in hand delivery of commercial mail and periodicals to the Latin America-Caribbean region (LAC), announced today that the Company will officially change it’s corporate name to SkyPostal Networks Inc effective Monday, July 28th. SkyPostal, Inc., based in Miami, Florida, is an international wholesale mail distribution company that specializes in offering hand delivery of commercial mail, periodicals and parcel post into the LAC region. SkyPostal is one of the largest private mail networks in Latin America handling mail from European postal administrations, major publishers, mail consolidators, international mailers and financial institutions that require time-defined and reliable delivery of their mail, magazines and mail order parcels."

Computer Weekly has reported that "Royal Mail has lifted the wraps on how it plans to spend up to £1.2bn on IT-related projects over the next three to four years as it fights growing competition from rival delivery services."

Transport Intelligence has reported that:

European mail and express group TNT has released its second quarter figures for 2008. The company commented that the quarter had shown an "unusual" business mix, with continued stable trading conditions in April and May but markedly lower volume growth witnessed during June in some key domestic and international markets. According to management, the impact of the sudden volume pressure in June was aggravated by sharply increasing fuel prices during the quarter, which led to additional temporary cost pressure due to the time lag in passing on fuel surcharges. See also Bloomberg and the International Herald Tribune.
DHL has announced the launch of Global ProView, a tool that enables customers of the company's time definite international (TDI) express services to "track all their shipments quickly, easily, and simultaneously with one seamless online-application". The worldwide express delivery and logistics company, part of German group Deutsche Post World Net, said Global ProView was accessible from any point on the internet and offered a complete and automatically updated overview of a customer's global shipments.

The Edmonton Sun has reported that "Several of Edmonton's Canada Post letter carriers are seeing red after Red Friday. Postal workers wanted to wear red last Friday in a show of support for the country's Armed Forces, but they were told it was a violation of company policy. Some ended up shunning the policy and donning red shirts anyway."

EurActiv has reported that "With new EU rules requiring national postal operators to give up lucrative lingering monopolies by 2011, France is looking for new funding mechanisms to ensure that even citizens in its remotest areas continue to receive an affordable, six-days-a-week service."

GAO: According to the Government Accountability Office, the "USPS has taken steps to strengthen network realignment planning and accountability and improve communication."

UsingRFID has noted that "The global market for RFID systems including tags in the postal and courier service sector will reach some US$2.5 billion in 2018, according to the 'RFID for Postal and Courier Services 2008-2018' report available from Research and Markets."

July 27, 2008

The Fairbanks Daily-Miner has reported that "Someone emptied the fuel oil tank at the Ester post office, making off with 500 gallons of fuel worth more than $2,000 and upsetting some residents of this hamlet about eight miles west of Fairbanks."

The Press and Journal has reported that "The Royal Mail last night rejected a suggestion that millions of pounds of state aid intended to maintain vital rural post office services may be siphoned off to help pay for postal deliveries. A spokesman for the group said the suggestion in a report from the all-party Commons business and enterprise committee, which sparked outrage among north and north-east MPs, is “complete nonsense”.

According to Hellmail:

• If I were to reshape a postal network, one thing I wouldn't be doing is starting from here. Theres a real feeling in the Hellmail office that Royal Mail will be be pushed further towards privatisation in an effort to find a solution to a completely stagnent era of competition for small business and domestic mail services and to protect the long-term future of the universal service. Whether one sees that as progress, evolution or a last-ditch attempt to force the entire liberalisation agenda, is down to your own interpretation of events, but most experts seem to agree that Royal Mail was never geared up for this and is being stuffed into a jar that it was never likely to fit.

• Poste Italiane is rolling out a mobile postal service using Italy's postmen and postwomen. The new service which has already been trialled in Rome, allows customers to top up their mobile phones, send registered mail items and order prescription medicines. The Italians seem to be leading the way.

Sify has reported that "The Department of Post in the state will be upgrading facilities at nearly 8,000 post offices in the rural areas of Gujarat and will soon offer attractive interest rates on savings deposited in post offices. Currently, post offices offer interest rates of around 9%. Giving this information at a press conference on Friday in the city, Chief Post Master General of Gujarat, Vijaya Sheth, said post offices provided indispensable services in many villages of the state where there were no banks."

According to the Sunday Observer, "A new digital system for money orders to prevent frauds will be introduced shortly, said Posts and Telecommunication Minister, Mahinda Wijesekera. He said that officers who were involved in multi-million rupee money order frauds will be severely dealt with after the investigation. Post offices will have facilities to check the genuineness of money orders under the new system, he said. He said that the structure of the Postal Department should be changed to suit the present day needs."

July 23, 2008

The July 24th congressional postal oversight hearing entitled, “The Three R’s of the Postal Network Plan: Realignment, Right-Sizing, and Responsiveness” will be webcast. The hearing begins at 2 p.m. Here's the webcast URL: http://federalworkforce.oversight.house.gov. This is also where the testimony submitted by witnesses will be available after the hearing takes place.

Press Release: "BCC Software, a BÖWE BELL + HOWELL company and the leading developer of highperformance solutions for professional mailers, has announced a new option that dramatically increases the value of NCOA Link® LSP processing purchased via BCC Data Services. Effective immediately, the LSP Unlimited service option will provide limitless access to NCOA Link LSP processing for an annually renewable fee of $1,995 for users of BCC’s Mail Manager 2010 and Mail Manager 2010 LE software products. Mailing jobs processed through the LSP Unlimited service option will also receive DPV ® , LACS Link® , Suite Link ™ and ANK Link ™ processing at no additional charge."

Postal workers play a valuable role in supporting migration, fund transfers, transport, trade, education and literacy, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in a message to the 24th Universal Postal Congress in Geneva. “Postal services are universal, connecting people throughout the world,” Mr. Ban said in the message, which was delivered by the Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva, Sergei Ordzhonikidze. “That is particularly important at a time when millions of people have migrated to seek better economic opportunities, or have been forced to flee areas afflicted by war or natural disaster, and are eager to share news and resources with loved ones.” The Secretary-General added: “I am encouraged by the way the world’s postal outlets are serving as natural gateways to the information society.”

From PRNewswire: "The U.S. Postal Service plans to identify new, more environmentally friendly vehicle technologies that are less dependent on petroleum-based fuel sources to replace the 195,000 neighborhood delivery vehicles of its total 220,000 vehicles, the world's largest civilian fleet. Today's announcement came during a ceremony in which General Motors presented a Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle to the Postal Service for testing in a mail-delivery environment."

Here's something that should fry your egg. Some phisherman has devised a way to snooker citizens to fall into their trap.

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $620.50. Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 days in order to process it. A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline. To access the form for your tax refund, please click here Note: For security reasons, we will record your ip-address, the date and time. Deliberate wrong inputs are criminally pursued and indicated. Regards, Internal Revenue Service

This is the kind of stuff that could easily be prevented if the sender could be verified through the use of an electronic postmark. What ever happened to that service?

The agenda for the August 5-7 meeting of the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee has been posted on this site.

PostInsight carries a notice on the availability of "Postal Economics in Developing Countries - Posts, Infrastructure of the XXIst Century" edited by Joëlle Toledano and José Ansón (UPU). It's a good paper, well worth reading.

CNN has noted that "The email of the species is deadlier than the mail." So wrote the British actor and novelist Stephen Fry. Is the electronic age throwing sand in the face of the traditional postcard? Tell CNN Business Traveller what you think in the Sound Off box below. Yet, we book our holidays online, we check in online, and, now we even write about our travels online -- emails and blogs packed with photos, video clips and every conceivable detail of our travels. Where does this online explosion leave the humble postcard?"

According to the San Jose Business Journal, "VeriFone Holdings Inc. was awarded a multi-year dollar contract valued at up to $10 million to provide the U.S. Postal Service with electronic payment capabilities."

From Business Wire: "Research and Markets ( http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/0c773b/rfid_for_postal_an) has announced the addition of the "RFID for Postal and Courier Services 2008-2018" report to their offering. Detailed ten year forecasts are given plus a full explanation of the technologies. In detail, there are 40 new case studies of RFID in action in the postal and courier service in North America, Europe, the Middle East and East Asia. The major breakthroughs that will provide future success are discussed."

From PR Web: "Earth Class Mail Corp., the global leader in delivering postal mail online, announced Chris Salvage, a 24-year veteran of FedEx, as its new vice president of operations. The experience Salvage garnered by overseeing the daily delivery of 200,000 packages for more than a decade will help Earth Class Mail scale its online postal-mail service to meet larger volumes."

Baltic Business News has reported that "State owned postal company Eesti Post announced the auction to the properties in Laulasmaa and Taevaskoda, which are popular summer vacation spots in Estonia."

Bloomberg has reported that "United Parcel Service Inc., the world's largest package-delivery company, said second-quarter profit fell 21 percent as fuel costs rose and the cooling economy damped domestic shipments. The decline reflected customers' shift away from air shipments in favor of cheaper ground-based options. While U.S. package volume may drop 2 percent in the second half of the year, earnings will be ``modestly better'' than the first half if business conditions don't deteriorate further, UPS said."

The Memphis Commercial Appeal has reported that "FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith will be an at-large delegate at the Republican National Convention in September and Memphian John Ryder will serve on the convention’s Rules Committee, the Tennessee Republican Party."

CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:

The Swiss post’s international division SPI has acquired German operator Global Press Distribution GmbH (GPD).
Last week the EU Commission declared that certain subsidies received by Poste Italiane were unlawful.
Deutsche Post seems to be sticking with its plans for a weekly free paper.
Privatisation of Eesti Post seems an increasingly likely prospect.
Poste Italiane CEO Massimo Sarmi has again made a public statement in favour of an IPO.
Deutsche Post AG intends to take its time over the sale of the subsidiary Postbank.
Only a few weeks after official consultations between China Post and Emirates Post took place, the two companies have signed an agreement to intensify bilateral relations between them.
Mail as part of the marketing arsenal of British firms has lost some of its importance. According to a study by Direct Marketing, advertising mail volumes dropped by 9% last year compared to 2006. A weakening of the effect of advertising mail, growing use of digital media and environmental scruples have combined to cause the decline.
Only a few days after the Chinese government had announced the introduction of "administrative procedures for the express market" the first such measure was published. Under the decree, express firms will in future be obliged to comply with the criteria for express services published in September 2007, which stipulate that express organisations and firms must employ at least 15 members of staff in order to be recognised. City express consignments must be delivered within 24 hours and domestic express items must not exceed a transmission time of 72 hours. Parcels must not exceed 50 kilos in weight and compensation for delay or loss of a consignment is limited to five times the transport price. The new regulations demand that express firms publish not only their service guarantees but also exact transmission times and prices. Service quality is to be assessed by an independent third party.
Stratospheric oil prices together with the economic crisis have forced US airlines to cut back their staff, fleet and schedules drastically - which has affected the handling of air cargo and mail.
Deutsche Post still enjoys a monopolistic position in Germany as far as the federal government, the parliament and over 600 federal authorities and agencies are concerned.
La Poste in France and eBay have agreed on a simplified franking method for auction users.
Poczta Polska has started one of the biggest tenders in the company’s history. Market observers estimate that the purchase of mail and parcel sorting machines has a volume of around 80m euros.

The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News. (We appreciate the courtesy extended by CEP News to help whet your appetite for more of what CEP offers.)

Transport Intelligence has reported that "Despite many companies' avowed commitment to 'greening' their logistics operations, it seems that most expect their sub-contractors to pick up the bill. That is one of the findings of the latest survey by Transport Intelligence which examined how companies were reacting to environmental concerns."

When the Postal Service Board of Governors comes to Washington for its end of July meeting, the sessions will be closed. Among the issues discussed will be: 1. Financial Update. 2. Strategic Issues. 3. Financial Outlook. 4. Product Pricing. 5. Personnel Matters and Compensation Issues. 6. Governors' Executive Session--Discussion of prior agenda items and Board Governance.

The transcript of the field hearing conducted in Portsmouth, NH  by the Postal Regulatory Commission on universal service is available on the PRC web site.

According to the New York Times, "most marketers readily concede it: getting rid of direct mail — or junk mail, as environmentalists and most recipients call it — would save a lot of trees. But they are not about to render bulk mailings obsolete. So a group of direct-marketing companies, along with a handful of their corporate clients, are banding together to make an inherently unsustainable practice at least a little bit greener. The group calls itself the Green Marketing Coalition, and it includes Microsoft, Washington Mutual and OptimaHealth. Not all the companies involved are big mailers, but they share the sentiment that there should be best-practices guidelines for the direct mail business."

"The United States Postal Service is on the case, too. It has taken out a trademark on the term “environMAIList” to refer to marketers that adopt greener mail practices and try to make direct marketing more eco-friendly. On its Web site — right after it notes that every dollar spent on direct mail returns almost $12 in sales — the Postal Service now lists green tips for marketers, like letting people easily opt out of mailings, using water-based inks and recycled materials, and encouraging customers to recycle the mailing after reading it. The Postal Service has also been sending press kits to reporters to spur coverage of its green push. Part of the pitch says: “Although direct-mail accounts for only 2.4 percent of landfill waste, many opportunities are available to lessen its environmental impact even more.” 

The Jakarta Post has reported that "The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has found corruption is rife in the state postal company PT Pos Indonesia, even though the company has been made to struggle to survive."

The Joplin Globe has reported that "Pittsburg State University officials announced Tuesday that they are halting a long-standing policy that allows political candidates, as members of the public, to pay for the university’s printing and postal services for producing and mailing campaign literature. Political candidates and parties will no longer be allowed to obtain the university’s printing and postal services to produce and distribute political literature, according to PSU President Tom Bryant. The action apparently was prompted by some complaints that Linda Grilz — an instructor at PSU and a candidate for the 2nd District commissioner seat in Crawford County — used the university’s metered postage stamps to send out election material by bulk mail."

The Monitor has noted that "The U.S. Postal Service is reviewing how Hurricane Dolly could affect mail service. Some post offices may have closed lobbies as the storm approaches, and if roads become impassable, delivery and pickup service could be interrupted. USPS will review the situation daily."

According to Correos de España, its "new automatic system for classifying installed packages by mail in itsTreatment Center International (CTI) Barajas, in Madrid, is already fully operational. With this new technological envelope the public postal company modernizes and strengthens its international parcel service and may offer new added value and higher quality service to customers and recipients of these international shipments."

July 22, 2008

As the BBC has noted, "The announcement that 37 post office branches across the county will shut follows a six week consultation period. There has been strong opposition to the closures, designed to save money."

The UN Information Center has reported that "a new global strategy aimed at improving and harmonizing the world’s postal services is the focus of a three-week congress in Geneva led by the United Nations Universal Postal Union (UPU) which began today. “The development gaps that separate the postal services of industrialized and developing countries at a worldwide level must be reduced for citizens and businesses to better participate in international trade,” Edouard Dayan, UPU Director General, told reporters today. According to Mr. Dayan, member countries will need to firmly commit to modernizing their postal networks to meet their social and economic development objectives. “Far from being obsolete, postal services are still alive and well,” he said, adding that e-mail and the Internet had not rung the death knell for them."

The Postal Service has released details of the voluntary early retirement (VER) offer recently authorized by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for USPS employees in clerk, mail handler, supervisor of distribution operations and supervisor of customer services positions.

• This offer is open to employees in those positions who meet the OPM conditions, and who are at least 50 years of age with 20 years of creditable federal service or any age with 25 years of creditable federal service.
• On Aug. 18, an annuity estimate will be mailed to all VER-eligible employees from Eagan, MN.
• In addition, on Aug. 22 a VER offer packet will be sent to all eligible employees containing a cover letter, an application and a list of questions and answers.
• Interested employees will have from Aug. 25 to Sept. 30 to submit their application.
• It's important to note that Sept. 30 is the date when an employee's voluntary choice to retire becomes irrevocable.
• By mid-November, the Human Resources Shared Services Center (HRSSC) will notify employees as to the status of their VER application.
• At that time, retirement counseling will become available. Employees receiving approval will have an effective retirement date of Dec. 31.
• As a reminder, a voluntary early retirement is just that - voluntary. This timeline only applies to employees in clerk, mail handler, supervisor of distribution operations and supervisor of customer services positions who meet the eligibility requirements.

The New York Times has reported that it "has inked a deal with LinkedIn to deliver targeted headline to members of the networking site. The deal will also allow advertisers to target "more Times readers than currently available through the NYTimes.com registration process," the companies said, but did not get into details regarding how the targeting would work. has inked a deal with LinkedIn to deliver targeted headline to members of the networking site.

Press Release: "Emirates Post's Express Mail Service (EMS) or Mumtaz Post, which offers swift delivery of documents and parcels to over 100 countries through the global postal network, has been enhanced with value additions, including free insurance, money-back guarantee and tracking facility."

The Baltic Course has reported that "Competition Board decided that the minimum number of post offices used for providing universal postal service will be decreased to 419, writes the National Broadcasting. Estonian Post requested that the minimum required number be cut from 495 to 400. The enterprise justified its application with the possibility to ensure providing service according to standards by using alternative options, hence, according to the opinion of the enterprise, there is no need for a stationary postal office in areas with low population density. AS Eesti Post will ensure provision of service with postal delivery staff who collect and deliver post in the place of residence or of business of service users." [EdNote: It should be apparent to anyone who can read that the whole world's postal services are striving to right-size their networks and personnel in the face of rapidly changing communication alternatives. Only a fool would believe right-sizing shouldn't happen in the U.S.]

Hellmail has reported that "Post Office Ltd has today announced the opening of a six-week local public consultation on its Area Plan for Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. In line with the criteria and factors set by the UK Government in its response document, DTI, The Post Office Network, Government Response to Public Consultation in May 2007 (www.berr.gov.uk/consultations/page36024.html) - the Area Plan for Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire proposes future provision of Post Office® services through a total network of 240 branches across the whole area, resulting in the closure of 44 existing branches."

The Indianapolis Star has reported that "FedEx Corp., the largest air-cargo shipper, has asked a bankruptcy judge for permission to sue ATA Airlines over a claim that ATA breached a military-supply contract by ceasing operations."

The Postal Service has filed a motion to dismiss the complaint by Capital One which is now before the Postal Regulatory Commission.

Business Daily Africa has reported that "Kenya is expected to table a proposal on e-commerce when more than 1,500 delegates converge in Geneva for the Universal Postal Union’s Congress to discuss the major challenges facing the postal sector. The proposal seeks to have the 191 members of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) recognise the digital divide between developed and developing nations."

July 21, 2008

The Asbury Park Press has reported that "FedEx Corp. Chief Executive Officer Fred Smith said the U.S. economy isn't in a recession and that oil prices will "drift down for a while.'' "I don't think we're in a recession,'' Smith, 63, said today in a Bloomberg Television interview from FedEx's headquarters in Memphis, Tenn. "We're in a period of extremely low growth brought on by high fuel prices and the financial meltdown.''

Alan Robinson, editor of the Courier, Express, and Postal Observer weblog site has said that "As with all businesses, the Postal Service must react to both secular and cyclical trends. Over the past two decades, the Postal Service benefited from a major secular trend in advertising that resulted in mail advertising growing faster than any media other than the Internet. More recently, a second secular trend, the switch of one-to-one and one-to-few communication from mail to the Internet has resulted in a 25% decline in single-piece First Class mail over the past nine years. These two secular trends have made the Postal Service more vulnerable to cyclical economic trends as it is much more reliant on advertising spending than ever before."

Union Network International has reported that "La Poste and eBay have signed a partnership that will enable French Internet vendors to purchase their postage online. The new service, in the pipeline since December 2007, allows eBay users to print out their own postage labels for letters and parcels direct from the auction site. The sender simply enters the weight, the destination and the required service (standard or registered post). Once payment has been received via PayPal, the label is simply printed out and attached to the packet to be sent."

StreetInsider has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will outline its strategy for converting to an environmentally friendly, non-petroleum based alternative fuel vehicle fleet to replace 195,000 delivery vehicles and will announce an alternative fuel vehicle test on Wednesday, July 23, 2008."

Today's Zaman has reported that "As the Turkish postal system tries to implement modern technology and introduce innovative products, notorious delays and lost mail continue to be a major headache to customers, local and foreign alike."

The Daily Sun has reported that "Within a three-year period, Nigeria has received the sum $1.2 million (about N150 million) from the Universal Postal Union as grant to improve postal services in the country. Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) chief, Kola Aduloju, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Nigeria's participation at the 24th UPU Conference scheduled to hold in Geneva, Switzerland, said NIPOST is judiciously expending the grant on such projects as procurement of vehicles, as well as on track and trace system, even as it expects more support from the union."

Gulf Times has reported that "Qatar has very good chances of winning the bid to host the 25th Universal Postal Union Congress in 2012 “in view of the broad Arab and world support it enjoys and of its long and internationally-recognised experience in organising world-class gatherings and conferences”, an official source said yesterday."

The Hindu noted that "Over the past few years, the Department of Posts and subsequently India Post has been undergoing significant changes, adapting to the new market environment. It is now the turn of the young Minister of State for Communications and IT Jyotiraditya Scindia to do his bit to push this exercise forward. From a mere postal service that also did some savings banking, India Post has certainly come a long way. It has already celebrated 150 years and wants to catch up with business and technology. "

July 20, 2008

Ever wonder how to find the information you want on the Postal Regulatory Commission web site? Well, the PRC has produced a nifty guide to get you just where you want to go.

July 19, 2008

Investors Business Daily has noted that "At least half of general merchandisers above $1 billion in annual sales allow pick-up of online or catalog orders, says Jerry Sheldon, an analyst at IHL Consulting Group."

Federal Times has reported that "Eligible U.S. Postal Service employees will have until Sept. 30 to decide to accept early retirement. The Postal Service said July 17 that under its reorganization plan, as many as 20,000 mail handlers, clerks, distribution operations supervisorsand customer service supervisors who are at least 50 years old and have at least 20 years of federal service will be eligible to retire early. Employees in those positions who have at least 25 years of service at any age also will be eligible. The Postal Service will mail annuity estimates to eligible employees on Aug. 18. Retirement applications will follow four days later. Employees who apply and are approved for early retirement will leave the Postal Service Dec. 31."

Transport News Network has noted that "Logistics is not a subject that you would traditionally expect to find being taught in schools. However, with the continued support from the Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council (RHDTC)* it soon will be."

The Armenian News Network has reported that "Armenian government has announced its plans to reach an agreement about prolonging HayPost trust management term for another five years. HayPost CJSC is the national postal operator of the Republic of Armenia. The company's staff is 4,000 people. Under an agreement signed on November 30, 2006, HayPost was transferred in trust management of the Dutch HayPost Trust Management Company for five years, with a right to prolong the contract for another five years."

According to the Orleans Star, "As critics take stabs at the government, charging that a review of Canada Post operations is either a waste of time or a secretive move towards deregulation and privatization, Cumberland Coun. Rob Jellett says his only concern is the maintenance of rural service."

The Daily Journal has noted that "what we call junk mail is actually the result of direct marketing campaigns designed to get you to buy a product or service. It's called direct marketing because it attempts to match you and your buying preferences with offers that are likely to make you buy a product or service. There are a variety of strategies you can use to get off direct marketing lists: If you want off as many national mailing lists as possible, contact the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail Preference Service (MPS). Junk mail is only junk when you don't want to receive it. You may want to be on some mailing lists. If you want to receive some of this mail, do not contact the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service."

 The latest issue of the PostCom Bulletin is available online. In this issue:

• In addition to PostCom and the Direct Marketing Association, other groups have expressed concerns about the Postal Service’s revised service performance measurement plans to the PRC. Issues include the failure of the USPS’ service performance reporting structure to meet customer needs, the relationship between Intelligent Mail Barcode implementation and service performance measurement, measurement of First-Class Mail presort flats, the establishment of service performance goals, data security, and measurement of remittance mail.
• The Postal Service’s Inspector General’s office this week published the results of its audit of the USPS Intelligent Mail enabling infrastructure. The audit evaluated the readiness of key mail processing equipment, the status of nesting abilities, the progress of the USPS Mail Processing Infrastructure Phase III, and the status of the Integrated Data System/National Directory Support System server consolidation program. The IG’s office said key IM components are ready to support IM implementation; but made specific recommendations to the Postal Service to ensure contingency plans are in place for the IDS/NDSS server consolidation program if deployment is delayed beyond 2009. The Postal Service agreed with the conclusions and recommendations.
• Pitney Bowes has published a white paper that attempts to baseline the environmental impact of letter mail. It identifies letter mail as having six stages in its life cycle from mail design up through disposal. The company hopes the paper will help the mailing industry understand of mail’s footprint. Pitney Bowes found many postal services throughout the world are starting to track the CO2 emissions used to run their facilities and transport mail to consumers.
• Now that the PRC has completed its hearings on universal service, PostCom VP Kate Muth is urging the mailing industry to take a hard look at this cornerstone of the American postal system. In this postal perspective, she lays out questions, the answers to which will shape the future of universal service and the U.S. Postal Service. Now, it’s up to you to share your opinions with the PRC and the USPS.
• The Postal Service filed more than 70 pages of initial comments on the universal service obligation (USO) and the postal monopolies with the Postal Regulatory Commission, but says in its opening page that it will present “its policy views” in a subsequent filing. The Postal Service says it sees no reason to impose the universal service obligation on its competitive products, with those products subject to the market. Given the changes wrought by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA), the USPS says it does not think the obligations of universal service can be applied to competitive products.
• Potter names two new USPS officers. APWU sues Bush, Potter over failure to appoint advisory council. USPS early retirement penalty could discourage employees.
• Postbank sale decision looms, share price falls. La Poste might sell 20 percent. Italian post must repay excess interest. FedEx studying bid for TNT. Jamaica PMG claims private operators are delivering illegally. NZ Post says post codes aren’t delaying mail. Swiss Post buys digital document company. Eesti Post ends negotiations to buy press delivery service.
• A list of upcoming postal-related events.

The PostCom Bulletin is distributed via NetGram

July 18, 2008

I&PE has reported that "The TNT postal fund has doubled its allocation to inflation-linked bonds at the expense of EMU government paper. In order to further decrease its inflation risks, the fund has also raised exposure to actively managed bonds from 40% to 50%, according to the annual report."

According to Hellmail, "The Estonian postal service may be sold. Eesti Post faces the might of full liberalisation of postal services across Europe and the Estonian government admits that without solid investment, the state-owned postal service could lose too much business to competitors. A decision on the future of Eesti Post is expected in the Autumn but Eesti Post is one of a number of state-owned postal operators across Europe that are in urgent need of investment to ride out a tide of increasing competition over the coming years."

The Orlando Sentinel has reported that "Houston based- Waste Management announced Wednesday the launch of ThinkGreenFromHome.com -- an online service for recycling household electric items such as compact fluorescent lamps and batteries. The program provides customers both in Central Florida and nationwide with prepaid-postage kits to "safely store and recycle" CFLs and batteries. The kits contain Mercury VaporLok technology, which the company said reduces the risk of environmental contamination posed by broken items that contain mercury. Boxes can be shipped from any home or United States Postal Service to the WM LampTracker processing facility in Minnesota, where the mercury is recycled. Replacement kits are then mailed to the customer, along with an e-mail confirming the transaction."

Postmaster General John E. Potter has named Pritha Mehra vice president of Business Mail Entry and Payment Technologies and Maura Robinson vice president of Pricing. These newly created positions are the latest in the Postal Service’s reorganization efforts to leverage competitive opportunities resulting from recent changes in federal law.

MediaDailyNews said you could "call it the Midsummer Massacre. The last two months have seen a bloodbath at some of America's largest newspaper publishers, with substantial job cuts hitting a number of papers, including a high proportion of newsroom positions. The scythe has visited McClatchy, Media General, the Tribune Co., the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, among others."

Hemscott has reported that "TNT NV said on Friday it has signed an agreement with Dutch trade unions over a new collective labour agreement after union members backed the proposed workplace deal. The agreement in principle was reached on May 23 and includes a structural 3 percent wage rise, plus a temporary 0.5 percent rise until April 1 2009."

China Post Agreement: The Postal Regulatory Commission is adding the Postal Service's negotiated agreement (regarding outbound EMS) with China Post Group to the competitive product list. This action is consistent with changes in a recent law governing postal operations. Re-publication of the lists of market dominant and competitive products is also consistent with new requirements in the law.

Mailers Council exec Robert McLean has told his members that:

The Postal Service has released details of the voluntary early retirement (VER) offer recently authorized by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The offer comes with a substantial penalty--essentially a 2% a year reduction in the annuity for every year of service below the minimum usually required for retirement--that will discourage many employees from accepting it.

The first group of USPS employees to receive the offer are in clerk, mail handler, supervisor of distribution operations and supervisor of customer services positions. This offer is open to employees in those positions who meet the OPM conditions, and who are at least 50 years of age with 20 years of creditable federal service or any age with 25 years of creditable federal service.

On August 18, an annuity estimate will be mailed to all VER-eligible employees. Interested employees will have from August 25 to September 30 to submit their application. Following are the details of the penalty:

• CSRS/CSRS Offset employees: If the employee is under age 55, the annuity will be computed using a voluntary optional retirement annuity calculation based on total creditable years and months of service and average high-3 salary. The annuity will be reduced at the rate of 2% for each year (or by 1/6th of one percent for each full month) that the employee are under age 55. This reduction is permanent. The annuity is not recomputed when the individual reaches age 55.
• FERS employees with a frozen CSRS component: The portion of the annuity based on a benefit that the employee accrued and retain under CSRS frozen service is subject to the reduction mentioned above for CSRS/CSRS Offset employees.
• FERS employees without a CSRS component: No reduction.

For more information click on this link for a VERA FAQ web page: https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2008/nl_0717vera.htm

The Washington Observer-Reporter has noted that "Three former executives with FedEx Ground in Pittsburgh said Thursday they have established ETC & Associates, LLC, Pittsburgh, to aid less-than-truckload, truckload and small package transportation and logistics companies. For more information, access the company's Web site at www.etcandassociates.com."

The Greensboro News Record has reported that "Now, it's up to FedEx Ground to decide whether to bring $100 million and 259 new jobs here. On Thursday, Guilford County commissioners put in their ante: an incentives package of $952,500 over three years if the company moves here. Under the deal, FedEx would pay its annual property taxes, which would add up to $1.5 million over the first three years in operation. Then, meeting certain employment and investment requirements, the company would receive its incentives. Over those three years, Guilford County's revenue would total $585,934."

PrintWeek has reported that "The DMA's head of postal affairs Alex Walsh has said that the controversial PAS 2020 proposals concerning direct marketing are key to the future of the direct mail industry. The BSI-led proposals, which have been endorsed by the DMA, aim to set an environmental and security standard for direct marketers, but have been met with concern by the industry, which feels that they are unrealistic and too far-reaching. Walsh told PrintWeek, however, that there were some elements of the proposal that "the DMA would not be happy to see introduced", but said that it was essential the sector is seen to be self-regulating as environmental and data issues become more prominent."

NATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM: "Rarity Revealed: The Benjamin K. Miller Collection," through Jan. 12; "Postal Inspectors: The Silent Service," through Feb. 28. Open indefinitely: "Customers and Communities"; "Airmail in America"; "Artistic License: The Duck Stamp Story"; "Binding the Nation"; "Moving the Mail"; "On the Road," a history of city mail vehicles; "Stamps and Stories"; "Victory Mail"; "What's in the Mail for You!"; "The Art of Cards and Letters." Open daily 10 to 5:30. 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. 202-633-1000 (TDD: 202-633-9849).

The APWU filed suit [PDF] against President George W. Bush and Postmaster General John E. Potter in District Court July 16 over their failure to appoint a Postal Service Advisory Council, as required by federal law. “The Postal Service is required to ‘consult with and receive the advice of the Advisory Council regarding all aspects of postal operations,’” APWU President William Burrus wrote in an April 11, 2008, letter to the president [PDF]. That letter was a follow-up to a similar letter to Potter last September. “Despite my entreaties, the advisory panel has not been appointed,” Burrus said in announcing the July 16 lawsuit. “So, of course, no meeting or consultation with the Advisory Council has occurred.”

Hellmail has noted that "After sickness levels reached almost 6.5% of the entire workforce in 2004, Royal Mail, the UK's main postal operator, has continued to concentrate on bringing levels of absenteeism down to acceptable levels."

July 17, 2008

According to Hellmail, "The UK postal operator has already warned that jobs will be lost beyond the 50,000 already shed by Royal Mail, after workers agreed last year to a pay deal that would see the restructuring and resizing of hundreds of delivery and distribution centres across the UK. Royal Mail is losing a quarter of its letters business to competitors and is under pressure from Postcomm to slash its operating costs rather than hope to gain favourable terms under ongoing changes to the UK postal market. "

Docket No. MC2008-3: "On March 20, 2008, the Postal Service filed notice with the Commission of a change in classification that would require all Bound Printed Matter (BPM) mailings, not just those that are destination-entered, to be paid by mailing permit effective May 12, 2008. Thereafter, on March 27, 2008, the Postal Service filed a notice of amendment that would require all BPM Flats and Parcels be paid by permit imprint only....The Commission concludes that, on this record, the change was properly filed under 39 CFR §§ 3020.90 and 3020.91 and that the proposal is not inconsistent with 39 U.S.C. § 3642. Accordingly, the classification change will be accepted and allowed to go into effect." Concurring from Commissioner Langley. Dissenting from Commissioner Goldway.

DMM Advisory: 

• Today, the Postal Regulatory Commission approved our request to move Premium Forwarding Service from the market-dominant to the competitive product category. The new postal law allows us to reclassify products based on market conditions and other factors. Premium Forwarding Service lets residential customers reship virtually all of their mail from their permanent address to a temporary address once a week via Priority Mail .
• On November 23, the Move Update standards expand from First-Class Mail automation- and presort-price mailings to include all Standard Mail mailings. The minimum frequency of Move Update processing also changes from 185 days to 95 days prior to mailing. To meet the new requirements, mailers must use addresses that were updated within the previous 95 days. Mailings entered on November 23, for example, must have addresses updated no earlier than August 20. If an address used on a mailpiece in a mailing at one class of mail is updated, the same address may be used during the following 95 days in another mailing, even if it’s another class of mail. Quick Service Guide 230a provides an overview of the Move Update standards, and information is available on ribbs.usps.gov (click “Move Update”). Please contact your business mail entry manager if you have questions.

KUAM has reported that "Village mayors are meeting with the Guam Post Master General today about the possible implementation of cluster boxes island-wide. Several villages have this current system in place including Barrigada, Yona, Chalan Pago and Santa Rita. You may remember a meeting was held a few weeks ago notifying residents in the village of Agana Heights that they could be next. The U.S. Postal Service has cancelled home delivery services for several residents citing security and safety concerns as their reasoning for terminating the service and installing cluster box units at mayor's offices."

KYIV Post has reported that "Domestic express carriers are thriving."

The National Association of Major Mail Users will be holding an important meeting on Thursday, July 24 at the Intercontinental Toronto Centre, 225 Front Street West between the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 2:30p.m. (light working lunch will be served) . Topics covered will include: Session I 10:00a.m. – 12:00 noon Canada Post Strategic Vision: Paper + Electronic; Session II 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 2009 Rate Package Workshop: Transaction Mail. Advance registration is mandatory and required by July 21.

Transport Intelligence has reported that "Hongkong Post this week fully launched a new service called iMail, together with two value-added facilities − insurance and online credit card payment."

According to Transport & Logistics News, "Independent research company Datamonitor says FedEx is reported to be interested in acquiring TNT, which seems to suggest that it does not want to rely on organic growth to strengthen its position in the global express market. Although combining two of the world's leading players would put strong pressure on the other two integrators, UPS and DHL, overall, the competitiveness of the industry looks set to remain intact."

News14.com has reported that "FedEx will ask commissioners Thursday night for $952,500 to build a ground shipping center. It would employ 80 full-time workers its first year, making about $40,000 annually."

Roadtransport.com has reported that "Express parcel firm FedEx is trialling 10 Iveco diesel-electric hybrid Daily vans in its Italian operation. Iveco claims the vans offer a 30% cut in fuel use and CO2 emissions over a standard diesel model, through a number of systems such as Stop & Start and regenerative braking."

According to MediaDailyNews, "The last two years have seen a proliferation of advertising targeting air travelers in transit, the ultimate captive audience. Soon, it will be hard to look anywhere on a plane without seeing an ad."

The DM Bulletin has reported that "The Post Office has appointed data analyst specialist r-cubed to improve the analysis and targeting of its customer data. The Post Office wants to improve its cross-selling capabilities using its vast customer database. It will then use direct marketing to target current customers with services they have not used."

Forbes has reported that "The European Commission said remuneration paid to Poste Italiane, the Italian post office, for distributing postal bonds, was illegal under EU state aid rules and must be paid back."

The Jamaica Observer has reported that "General Michael Gentles says private courier companies which deliver letters and small packages locally are doing so illegally, according to the Postal Services Act. Gentles said that "courier services are exploding in Jamaica" although the law gives the postmaster general the exclusive right, through the post offices, to operate in the letters and small packages category."

Brand Republic has reported that "Royal Mail has appointed EuroDirect as a member of its expert panel of data partners, which aims to improve the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns for its business customers. EuroDirect, together with Royal Mail, will help organisations with customer acquisition and retention, and cross- and up-selling, using: direct mail leaflet drops, door-to-door and digital channels."

July 16, 2008

The Postal Regulatory Commission has granted the Postal Service request to modify the Mail Classification Schedule by transferring Premium Forwarding Service to the competitive product list (Docket No. MC2008-4).

The Business Standard has noted that "The Department of Post has stepped into a high gear for a total revamp of its image. It has partnered with Ogilvy and Mather (O&M) to help design a new logo and new uniforms to keep up with its new image."

Bloomberg has reported that "Deutsche Postbank AG, Germany's biggest consumer bank by clients, dropped the most in six months in Frankfurt trading on concern the company's sale may be delayed."

Press Release: "President Bush joined the Postmaster General today in unveiling the "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" stamp to celebrate the song's 100th anniversary. The First-Day-of-Issue ceremony took place on the White House South Lawn where 51 young players representing all 50 states and Washington, DC, played in the White House All-Star Tee Ball game. All 75 million "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" 42-cent first-class commemorative stamps go on sale today."

CEP News (Courier-Express-Postal), published by the MRU Consultancy, has reported that:

Private postal service providers in Spain have accused Correos of blocking the legally guaranteed network access.
In order to put pressure behind their claims, Brazilian postal workers currently on strike have turned to the country’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
In a free beta test Schweizerische Post is currently offering a new simple solution to the sending of secure e-mails.
Royal Mail is planning to equip around 25,000 of its motorised staff with hand-held devices.
Hong Kong Post is introducing a new service that will reinforce its position in terms of cross-border handling of Internet traded small packets.
Sad holiday greetings for the US post: American market research company ComScore sees the growing photo messaging trend as a serious threat to the custom of sending holiday postcards home. In the USA, the volume of digital photos transmitted via mobile means of telecommunication has increased by 60% compared to last year.
68.6% of the total international turnover of the French La Poste is now generated in the parcel express segment, as confirmed by the post’s recently published annual report.
Germany reports the merger of special speed market courier firms IN tIME and RS Logistik AG, resulting in a Europe-orientated courier firm with almost 400 employees
Opposition is forming against plans by Österreichische Post to let an independent subsidiary handle express parcels.
The Irish post has calculated that annual subsidies of around 30m euros would be necessary in order to maintain the universal service after the opening of the postal market.
DHL has developed a new shipment software aimed especially at small and medium-sized businesses. The so-called "Easyship Connect" package - a further development of DHL’s own "Easyship" software - covers all parcel shipment aspects, from the printing of the airway bills via tracking to service reports.
Purolator Courier has reinforced its presence in the US market by opening a new branch in Buffalo.
Increasing fuel costs could jeopardise this year’s annual result planned by Posta Romana.

The MRU, founded in 1992, is the only consultancy in Europe, which has specialised in the market of courier-, express- and parcel services. For large-scale shippers and CEP-services in particular, the MRU provides interdisciplinary advice for all major questions of the market, as there are for example market entry, product design, organisation, and EDP.To learn more about the stories reported above, contact CEP News. (We appreciate the courtesy extended by CEP News to help whet your appetite for more of what CEP offers.)

AMEInfo has reported that "Emirates Post and China Post have entered into an agreement to boost bilateral relations, with a focus on international electronic remittance, improvement in EMS (Express Mail Service), wider use of Dubai Transit Mail Hub and better marketing of the international postal service."

WCCO.com has reported that "United Parcel Service is warning of a computer virus circulating under the guise of an e-mail from UPS. According to a release from UPS, the virus is attached to an e-mail that warns readers they have a shipment that couldn't be delivered unless they click on the attachment. The e-mail claims the attachment contains a waybill that will allow the undelivered package to be picked up. UPS says they rarely include attachments on their notification e-mails, and anyone who has any questions about the authenticity of their messages should contact them."

The Rockford Register Star has reported that "The Illinois Department of Employment Security said some Rockford residents may be among those in several Illinois cities still awaiting their July 7 unemployment check. “We at IDES share your frustration if you are among the unemployment insurance benefit check recipients missing your check dated July 7, 2008,” said IDES Director James P. Sledge said in a news release issued Tuesday. “We are keenly aware that these funds might be needed toward monthly bills and other necessary expenses. Although the U.S. Postal Service admits that they received delivery of checks, they have not yet been able to identify the location or time of delivery to the recipients.”

The Guardian has reported that "German Economy Minister Michael Glos and Labour Minister Olaf Scholz have reached a deal that could roughly double the number of workers protected by a sectoral minimum wage, a government source said on Wednesday. A sector-specific minimum wage already applies to about 1.8 million employees in Germany across seven sectors, among them construction workers and postal delivery staff."

Lubbock Online has reported that "Because a one-cent increase in the price of fuel raises USPS costs by more than $8 million per year, the postal service is exploring options such as increasing walking routes, bicycle routes and fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce its energy consumption." [EdNote: Yup. For the short period of my life when I delivered mail, that's how we did it. We walked.]

The Economic Times has reported that "Faced with stiff competition from private courier services, India Post plans to induct four more freighter aircraft by the year-end to beef up speed post services to almost 15 major cities, a senior official said. The department is in talks with the government to ensure the leased aircraft could be pressed into service by the year-end, India Post chief general manager (operations) M.S. Bali told IANS."

According to Radio Jamaica, "Three years after a US$100,000 cheque which was made payable to the Postal Corporation of Jamaica went missing, the local postal authorities are no where near finding the whereabouts of the money. The Public Accounts Committee Tuesday learnt that the cheque which was drawn on the account of the US postal service in 2005 at the First Union Bank in Philidelphia, was fraudulently enchased without any trace and is yet to be accounted for. Post Master General, Michael Gentles reported to the PAC that police investigations have so far turned up nothing. Mr. Gentles, who was grilled by the PAC for more than 30 minutes, also told the committee that local investigators were not getting enough co-operation from personnel at the US Postal Service."

The Wetumpka Herald has reported that "Representatives from Price Publications, Inc. were among some 50 newspaper executives in Washington, D.C. Friday to discuss ongoing issues like slow delivery and rising rates with officials from the U.S. Postal Service. PPI President Kim N. Price and PPI Operations Manager Jay Goodwin were among the delegates at the National Newspaper Association’s 2008 Postal Summit held at L’Enfant Plaza, home to the USPS, July 10-11. Although the USPS is building centralized automation facilities, postal officials assured the National Newspaper Association that they are considering the continuation of entering newspapers at local post offices. Loss of local offices has not been proposed for this area, Price said. NNA has fought to prevent local post offices from closing, but the Postal Service stopped well short of a commitment due to budget issues."