You’ve heard all the gibberish regarding the demise of the post office and the need to privatize the service but guess what? In some areas they are doing better than they ever have!
Yes, of course, the advent of email and text messaging has decimated the need for a First-Class Mail service and changes will be surely needed to adjust to the changing landscape but check out what is going on with its shipping business:
Total Shipping and Packages revenue in the second quarter increased $267 million, or 9.3 percent, compared to the same period last year. For the six months ended March 31, Shipping and Package revenue is up 6.9 percent. I trust the book trade is a major part of that growth with Media Mail being their preferred shipping method.
Sounds pretty healthy to me.
As the naysayers and right-leaning politicians contemplate further changes and rate hikes the usually reserved Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) has taken a stand.
“The discontinuation or a significant decrease in services by the Postal Service would cause undue hardship to hundreds of millions of Americans dependent on the Postal Service for the delivery of well over 100 billion pieces of mail yearly,” says ABAA President John Thomson. “This would also place a burden on bookseller small businesses who rely on the postal service for affordable delivery of their products.” Media Mail facilitates the spread of literacy and free speech by enabling the shipping of educational, literary and other written and electronic forms of communication at preferential rates.
Below is the full press release.
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) is asking
Congress to do its part to facilitate the spread of literacy and
guarantee free speech by ensuring the U.S. Postal Service remains
solvent and that special Media Mail rates stay in place.
The financially struggling U.S. Postal Service ended the second quarter
of its 2013 fiscal year with a net loss of $1.9 billion and mounting
debt. Efforts to eliminate Saturday delivery of mail were blocked
earlier this year. But many fear plans to reduce debt could lead to
higher postal prices, further reductions in service and the elimination
of the reduced Media Mail rate many booksellers rely upon. Media Mail
facilitates the spread of literacy and free speech by enabling the
shipping of educational, literary and other written and electronic forms
of communication at preferential rates.
“The discontinuation or a significant decrease in services by the Postal
Service would cause undue hardship to hundreds of millions of Americans
dependent on the Postal Service for the delivery of well over 100
billion pieces of mail yearly,” says ABAA President John Thomson. “This
would also place a burden on bookseller small businesses who rely on the
postal service for affordable delivery of their products.”
The postal services own financial reports show that its package
business, for items such as books, is on the rise. “The continuing shift
to electronic communication alternatives had a pronounced negative
effect on First-Class Mail volume and revenue, the growth of e-commerce
and successful marketing campaigns continued to grow Postal Service
Shipping and Package business. Total Shipping and Packages revenue in
the second quarter increased $267 million, or 9.3 percent, compared to
the same period last year. For the six months ended March 31, Shipping
and Package revenue is up 6.9 percent.”
The United States Postal Service Resolution was adopted at the ABAA’s
board meeting in April. The ABAA is the largest and oldest association of antiquarian
booksellers in the U.S., representing more than 450 member firms across
the nation. The mission of the ABAA is to promote ethical standards and
professionalism in the antiquarian book trade.
For further information, please contact Susan Benne at sbenne@abaa.org or 212.944.8291.