Mailing/Fulfillment - Postal Trends

By Sen. Susan Collins. This postal rate hike, far beyond the inflation rate, is inconsistent with the law. The 2006 postal reform act was intended to produce pricing predictability and stability, allowing the Postal Service to raise rates up to the consumer price index without going through a litigious, expensive process.

As the principal author of that law, I know, however, that the Postal Service has the authority to increase rates above the inflation rate only if it demonstrates “extraordinary or exceptional circumstances.”

Postal officials set out recently to justify big rate increases for catalogs and publications, but all they proved was that they have been mismanaging the handling of flat mail for more than a decade.

Arguing that Periodicals (magazines and newspapers) and Standard flats (mostly catalogs) are money-losing products, the U.S. Postal Service’s exigent rate request includes above-average hikes for Standard flats and Periodicals – 9% for some magazines.

But if those products are indeed losing money, an industry coalition responded recently, it’s only because of “the extraordinary inefficiency and lack of economy of the Postal Service’s handling flat-shaped...

When it comes to mailing, there are two essential types of software: presort and post-presort. Mailers who use presort software alone do not realize the tremendous advantages that can be achieved by combining presort and post-presort software.

Presort (or “pre-sort”) software focuses on mailing list maintenance, address verification, address quality, and mail sortation.

Post-presort software specializes in managing data describing the mailing (piece weight, thickness, entry point, etc.), reports, and automating the process of transmitting the data to PostalOne! for Intelligent Mail Full-Service, FAST, mail verification, distribution, and postage accounting.

Depending on the type of consumer you are, you may do different things with the familiar blue Valpak envelope you receive in the mail every four weeks. Either you toss it as junk mail, use a pizza coupon here and there, or go on a shopping spree with the discounts you just unearthed. The $14.8 billion company, started by former Wisconsinite and entrepreneur, Terry Loebel, is betting you at least give its offers a good, hard look.

And if you don't open that envelope, Valpak is hoping to hit you online or through your mobile device.

The final phase of the Move Update rollout was completed in January, and the USPS is now assessing penalties on all mail that does not comply with the Move Update standards.

The Postal Service has decided to liberalize the “ride-along” rules that have  prevented product samples and certain other advertising gimmicks from running in U.S. magazines, sources said today.

The new regulations would reduce the postal cost of many of those advertising pieces by 90% or more.

Move Update examines whether mailers are appropriately and effectively updating their members’ addresses in accordance to the National Change of Address (NCOA) database.

Very limited but essential strategic options remain for the small- to medium-sized printer who are inextricably dependent upon the USPS.

Ever wonder what makes a good direct mail piece, which creative pulls the best results and why some mailing lists are better than others?

The international trade dispute initiated by three paper makers could lead to a considerable pull back for those printers who teeter on the edge of existence.