Harry Potter gets special delivery
Harry Potter gets special delivery The Universal Postal Union (UPU) has surveyed its member countries regarding the distribution of the latest Harry Potter book and is pleased to convey the following information.
American and British postmen and women distributed 2.4 million books. Their German and Swiss counterparts will distribute the German version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the night of 27 October, between midnight and 2 a.m. From 2004 to 2005, the global volume of ordinary parcels rose by 11 pct, outlining the postal sector’s role as a partner of choice for e-commerce.
In postal delivery centers all around the world, hundreds of small parcels marked “not to be delivered before 21 July” are being heavily guarded. The content of each package is the same: the latest novel recounting the adventures of Harry Potter.
In the United States, for example, USPS delivered 1.8 million books on Saturday, while in the United Kingdom Royal Mail delivered 600,000 copies; in other words, by the British operator’s reckoning, one UK household in 43 will receive the book by post. Canada Post distributed 80 000 copies. Swiss Post and France’s La Poste made also special deliveries on 21 July. Operators are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the millions of books were delivered on time.
From 2004 to 2005, the global number of ordinary parcels sent domestically and internationally rose by 11 pct, for a total of 6 billion parcels delivered annually representing 16 millions per day. It’s unusual for so many identical articles to be delivered within such a short space of time, and some postal operators have looked for innovative delivery solutions. For example, Deutsche Post, the German operator, and Swiss Post delivered the book to impatient readers shortly after midnight in 2005 (and also in 2003 in Germany). The Swiss postmen said it was a delivery round like no other: certain customers who had forgotten ordering the book were most surprised to see the postman come calling in the middle of the night. Midnight deliveries will again be organized in these two countries when the German version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released.
