Dive Brief:
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The United States Postal Service said that it will make deliveries seven days a week during the holiday season from Nov. 17 through Christmas Day.
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USPS expects to deliver 12% more packages than last year, somewhere between 450 million and 470 million.
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The Postal Service is competing with FedEx and UPS head on, not just by expanding the days it delivers but also by lowering some rates where the other shippers are charging more.
Dive Insight:
The Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States; although it’s authorized in the Constitution, changes to the law now require the agency to maintain solvency largely on its own. However, the shipper must also contend with Congress, which still controls many of its policies, including rates.
While Congress has recently considered eliminating Saturday delivery, the Postal Service is going ahead with seven-day delivery for the holidays. With retailers expecting more online orders this season, shippers and retailers are keen to avoid the late deliveries of last year. It's yet another skirmish in the ongoing delivery wars.
