The United States Post Office is continuing to urge Congress to let it go to a five-day delivery schedule, skipping Saturday and Sunday. Online bill pay and the proliferation of email continue to deliver a wallop to its bottom line. Now, to make matters even more challenging, USPS's direct mail business is suffering a huge hit.
For the quarter that ended June 30, the USPS lost $2.4 billion in direct mail revenue. The Direct Marketing Association had anticipated a downturn in direct mail volume earlier this year, but it was an optimistic 1% dip. On Thursday, the DMA revised that number to 10%.
With digital media taking center stage these days, the direct mail business is facing the same challenges as other print products (e.g. newspapers, magazines, etc.). Viral marketing, social media, SEO, and other more cost-effective online tools are garnering more attention and yielding better results. Technology is changing our world.
If I had a vote, I'd tell Congress to give a thumbs up to the five-day delivery week. What's the point of delivering on Saturdays, if there's no mail to deliver?