ACMA In defense of the catalog
Catalog mailing costs are hitting new highs, especially for the business-to-business mailers who lack the criteria necessary for the best discounts.
Panelist C. Hamilton Davison, executive director of the American Catalog Mailers Association, explored how we got here and what we need to do to promote a favorable change.
The United States Postal Service handles 98 billion pieces of First Class Mail a year, accounting for USD 5 billion for last year; 103 billion pieces of Standard Mail accounting for USD 20 billion; .9 billion pieces of priority mail, accounting for USD 5 billion; 9 billion periodicals, accounting for USD 2 billion; 1.2 billion pieces of package services, accounting for USD 2.3 billion; and 2 billion other pieces accounting for 2.5 billion.
Overall the USPS handled 53.2 billion pieces of mail last year, accounting for USD 16.7 billion.
Standard Mail has seen a great increase and mail volume and delivery points are also increasing.
The growth of the US economy and mail volume coincides and mail is not going away, because it helps consumers thrive. It connects consumers to the market.
Most catalogers spend less than 10 percent of their time worrying about postal issues. This is ironic considering the USPS controls access to the consumer.
He talked about how catalogers are good for the USPS and for consumers.
Converting customers, for example, is good for the USPS as well because it results in multiple mail pieces.
