USPS Saturday Delivery to end

[Former_Member]

According to several things I just read, Saturday delivery will shut down Augusr 1st of this year.

Just thought I'd give everyone a head's up.

[Former_Member]

End of an era.

I would think that all the money they are making on international shipping they would be able to keep Saturday deliveries.

[Former_Member]

It only applies to first class mail. Packages and express mail will still have Saturday delivery. The USPS is expected to publish a press release later today.

I hope post offices are still open on Saturdays when this happens, but I am not expecting it. :-\

Nice of the USPS to announce this right after a ginormous rate hike.

[Former_Member]

Apparently, the international shipping was being held lower than it should have been for longer than they should have. I'm pretty sure I'm losing sales in my soap shop because of them raising the prices so much.

This will mess up supplies deliveries, too. Sometimes I get things just in time on Saturdays.

[Former_Member]

Thank you for this info Erin. I had no idea! Time to go check out their website to see if any additional info is posted yet about this.

[Former_Member]

I've been reading about this happening "eventually" for years in the Wall Street Journal.

And to think that in my little town, they used to have first class letter delivery TWICE a day! Ladies in my end of town would send a letter in the morning to friends on the other side of town and they would arrive that afternoon.

[LovesYouCrafts]

They will only end first class mail delivery on Saturdays. I know it may cause a few small inconveniences but I hope it will help to keep USPS afloat. We have had one local post office close here and I hope that trend doesn't continue.

[Former_Member]

I didn't see the thing about packages until y'all pointed it out, so that's something.

And this is all still about 6 months away - just in time for my busy season. O-o

[Former_Member]

Huge bummer!

[Former_Member]

OK, maybe this doesn't bother because I'm out in a rural area more and only pick up my mail a few times a week (after all, what's a day without a bill?) but I honestly don;t care when they deliver my mail, just that they do get it to me. And I've seen more than a fair share of post offices that are planted in two-bit towns that have 2 bars and a single pump gas station. I'm sorry but if your area doesn;t even have a convenience store, is there really a need for a post office?!? Or, my favorite, there's a little township about 10 miles from me that's actually a part of my town; they have a wide spot in the road with a trailer park, a hairdresser and a nice convenince store/deli/gas station that does well for itself because a large park and historical covered bridge & schoolhouse is right next to it. Yet, in the trailer park, in a trailer, there's a post office! And again, this post offcie is maybe 15 miles from the town actual post offce, so I'm not sure why there is even one there!

[hollymarshmallow · Accepted solution]

Here's the official press release: http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2013/pr13_019.htm

[CactusCurio]

What an important update! Thanks for sharing @Erin, this totally wasn't on my radar.

[Butterflykilns]

I read about that too.....would they still deliver Parcel Post or Priority Mail on Saturdays?

[Former_Member]

This sounds like an expected next step, and honestly Im happy they are still offering a Saturday solution at all outside of Express ($$$). With little difference in the US between First Class and Priority now, it will now be the big differentiator between the two, other than the price.

..and hopefully the savings will be passed on to us, with perhaps less of a hike per postage increase in the future - A girl can dream!

[Former_Member]

Keep living that dream, Heather, keep living that dream, :D

Thanks for highlighting that post, Katy, and you're very welcome. As soon as I saw it this morning, I came to share.

[Wirelings]

That's too bad. Most of my sales are shipped in letters and everything I ship is first class.

[Former_Member]

So, what about priority mail? Will that still ship on Saturday?

[alohaletterpress]

From the announcement-- " Over the past several years, the Postal Service has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages. However, recent strong growth in package delivery (14 percent volume increase since 2010) and projections of continued strong package growth throughout the coming decade led to the revised approach to maintain package delivery six days per week."

[Former_Member]

"...recent strong growth in package delivery (14 percent volume increase since 2010)..."

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I wonder how much of that "recent strong growth" is due to us Etsians! :)

[Former_Member]

Probably quite a bit, plus you've got Ebay, and all of those independent artisan websites out there. Internet business is probably what keeps the USPS going!

[Davs]

According to the The Huffington Post: "Under the new plan, mail would be delivered to homes and businesses only from Monday through Friday, but would still be delivered to post office boxes on Saturdays. Post offices now open on Saturdays would remain open on Saturdays." and "it will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to disburse packages six days a week"

[Former_Member]

Actually I like this solution. Most people only get bills and catalogs in the mail on Saturdays, but really want their Etsy packages. So why not reduce the spam mail and make people happy by delivering their purchases.

[Former_Member]

Like whoopi said today on the view, if they are coming out for packages just bring everything else with you....that definitely reminds me how things and times have changed! Booo!

[Former_Member]

What HeatherJessica said:With little difference in the US between First Class and Priority now, it will now be the big differentiator between the two, other than the price.
.................

From what I understand, the USPS will be delivering "packages" on Saturdays as long as they are Priority or Express....but not "packages" that are First Class, Parcel Post, or Media Mail.

Anybody know for sure?