US Postal Service adds ‘hold for pickup’ to delivery options

The U.S. Postal Service today launched a new delivery option that can save customers shipping costs on
products they have ordered by agreeing to pick them up at a designated Post Office. “Hold For Pickup” meets
the needs of cost-conscious mailers shipping high-value and heavyweight goods and the customers receiving
them.
A package delivered Hold For Pickup will be kept safely at the Post Office until the customer collects it.
Items shipped using Hold For Pickup are delivered directly to the Post Office instead of customers’ street
address. This provides additional security for mailers who may not want expensive products left at a customer’s
door.

Internet Retailer – 11.10.05

APX Logistics, U.S. Postal Service launch hold-for-pickup delivery service

APX Logistics and the U.S. Postal Service are cooperating in a new direct-to-consumer delivery service that holds APX-delivered packages at a retail customer’s local post office for up to 10 days.

The Hold for Pickup service is intended as a delivery option for retailers who ship high-value items, such as jewelry and computers, that a consumer wouldn’t want sitting on a doorstep, APX said. “There was a need in the marketplace for this type of service,” APX chief marketing officer Vasco Fernandes said. “The competition in high-end home delivery markets is increasing and having a high-security, high-value delivery option is something that leaders in this segment have been calling for.”

The service starts this month in about 6,000 post offices across the U.S., serving about two-thirds of the U.S. population, APX said. APX didn’t say how or when the service would be extended to other post offices.

Consumers who opt for the service will be automatically notified by telephone when a package has been shipped and when it is ready to be picked up at their local post office. A subsequent notice is sent to the consumer if the package hasn’t been picked up after three days. If the consumer fails to pick up the package after 10 days, APX notifies the merchant and returns the package to it.

“Hold For Pickup is another way we are transforming our products and services to better meet the
needs of our customers,” said Nick Barranca, Vice President, Product Development. “The advantages are cost
savings to the shipper, customer convenience, and security for both the business client and the consumer.”
Hold For Pickup parcels are shipped to a designated Post Office where they can be picked up by the
customer within 10 calendar days.
Barranca said the Postal Service was responding to several requests from shippers wanting the option
of notifying customers that their items were being held at a local Post Office, resulting in the Hold For Pickup
option.
Shippers using Hold For Pickup will notify each customer of the Post Office holding their package. If the
package has not been picked up within three days of its arrival at a Post Office, the Postal Service will send an
additional notice to the customer alerting them of the delivery. Items will be held for pick up for 10 days at the
Post Office before being returned to the shipper.
“We expect that Hold For Pickup will be expanded in the future to include all parcel products to further
meet customer needs around greater access and convenience,” Barranca said.