Tag: North America

DMA's 2006 'Power of Direct Marketing' Reports

Posted by | Oct 17, 2006 | |

Despite a US economy that shows signs of decline in some key areas, growth is predicted in direct marketing (DM) expenditures, sales, ROI, and employment through 2007, as reported in The Power of Direct Marketing, the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) annual forecast of direct marketing’s economic impact on the US economy, including advertising expenditures and sales. The 2006 edition of the DMA report, which has been ongoing since 1995, was released today.

The USD166.5 billion in DM advertising expenditures marketers are predicted to lay out in 2006 represents a solid 6 percent gain over 2005 spending. According to the report, marketing expenditures this year were part of a strong rebound from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, after these storms postponed expenditures in many economic sectors from late 2005 into the first half of 2006.

The growth rate in DM expenditure through 2007 is expected to moderate further to 5.2 percent, translating to USD175.2 billion in direct marketing spending for 2007, according to DMA’s report.

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CUPW Reflects as Canada Post Turns 25

Posted by | Oct 16, 2006 | |

Canada Post turns 25 today, a chance for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to reflect on the past 25 years and help plan the next 25.

“What is the future of our public post office? What do we need to do to face the challenges we face? What will it mean for postal workers? What will it mean for the Public?” asks Deborah Bourque, National President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

On October 16th, 1981 Parliament passed the Canada Post Corporation Act (CPC Act) creating a Crown Corporation mandated it to expand service, have good labour relations and break even.

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Postal Service adding branches in stores

Posted by | Oct 15, 2006 | |

In today’s shipping business, it’s easy to get your package to Singapore overnight if you’re willing to pay for it.
So being accessible to busy customers is the way to stand out.
FedEx partnered with Kinko’s to get into 24-hour stores. UPS teamed up with Mail Boxes Etc. and operates more than 5,600 locations worldwide.
Now, it’s the U.S. post office’s turn. The government isn’t planning to go 24/7, but it is trying to be more convenient. First it opened automated postal centers in some post office lobbies, and now it has licensed postal outlets inside retail stores.

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Postal machine does everything but talk: automated teller service is convenient for customers, but some workers fear cuts in jobs

Posted by | Oct 15, 2006 | |

Over the past year or so, the U.S. Postal Service has been rolling out these machines, called Automated Postal Centers (APCs), at select post offices across the state.

With step-by-step instructions available in English and Spanish, the machines also are accessible on days and at hours that the tellers are not; and at some locations, available 24 hours a day.
The APC does everything short of face-to-face transactions. While tellers still handle money orders, bulk drop-offs and other tasks, the machines, which take credit and debit cards, dispense stamps, weigh packages and calculate postage for Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail and Parcel Post items. Of the 21 machines in North Jersey, the machine at the Westfield Post Office is getting the greatest use, averaging USD1,400 in business a day, while Elizabeth is second, at USD1,200. Trailing closely behind are South Plainfield and Jersey City, said Elizabeth Postmaster Carmen Fede.

The machine has received mixed reviews from the postal workers union, where members have expressed concern that it will be used to cut staff. The primary purpose of the machines is customer convenience. The machines are extremely reliable and help reduce the lines at the post office, he said.

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Postal Service thinking out of boxes

Posted by | Oct 14, 2006 | |

The U.S. Postal Service has been forced to change how it serves customers because Americans are relying on the Internet to stay in touch and pay their bills.

From 2003 to 2005, the volume of first-class mail handled by the postal service decreased about 5 1 / 2 percent. First-class mail includes most cards, postcards, letters and large envelopes.

Also declining has been the number of blue collection mailboxes on street corners and in shopping center parking lots.

Oklahoma has about 3,000 blue boxes, said Larry Flener, U.S. Postal Service consumer affairs manager in Oklahoma City. Thirty percent of those boxes are in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Nationwide, the postal service has reduced 42,000 blue boxes to scrap metal since 1999. About 295,000 boxes remained standing at the end of 2005.

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