Posted on 11/12/2013 7:33:07 AM PST by Vigilanteman
In a press release early Monday morning, Amazon announced it would be using the United States Postal Service to help deliver packages in the New York and Los Angeles metropolitan areas on Sundays.
Amazon and the Postal Service said the service would be rolled out further in the U.S., going to major metropolitan cities in 2014 including Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and Phoenix.
“As online shopping continues to increase, the Postal Service is very happy to offer shippers like Amazon the option of having packages delivered on Sunday,” said Patrick R. Donahoe, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer in the press release. “With this new service, the Postal Service is now delivering packages seven days a week in select cities. Customers can expect the same reliable and valued service that the Postal Service currently provides.”
Amazon, led by CEO Jeffrey P. Bezos, has continued to expand its offerings in innovative new ways that show the online e-commerce giant thinks about its business in ways others do not.
Amazon has set up delivery lockers in certain stores around the country, and also recently set up mini-distribution centers in Procter & Gamble plants to ship directly to customers, continuing to cut down on costs and increase speed in which buyers receive their goods.
(Excerpt) Read more at supplychain247.com ...
Maybe Amazon should just buy the U.S. Postal Service outright.
It sounds like they did.
I love my prime membership. With my rather nutty schedule, ordering directly is so much better.
I'm just imagining what it will be like when all these small town post offices in SW Pennsylvania are converted into Amazon distribution centers. The little building they have nearby me in Hunker, PA, just as one example, would be a great place for the local Lutheran ladies to sell quilt blocks on the side. They would gladly staff the place for a nominal paycheck or even free and hand out packages in return for the privilege.
Congress requires six-day delivery services, and the Post Office wants to work on Sunday. Guess which day gets cut?
Tests done by Amazon using the USPS have been very positive, including same day delivery.
Major online sellers like Amazon are looking for ways to shrink delivery time to compete with B&Ms. UPS and FedEX don't have Saturday or Sunday delivery without paying premium rates. As letters and magazines move to the net the USPS is looking for ways to grow parcel delivery. Simple as that.
As for the USPS going under, many are unaware that congress has mandated the USPS to pay 5 billion per year into a retirees health care pool. The USPS has funded its liability far beyond any other private corporation or public entity, yet congress will not allow relief. Why? IMO it is because the funds go to a pool. If congress doesn't suck money out of the USPS, the various other government entities would have to pay for their retirees out of THEIR OWN budget. If not for this mandate the USPS would be doing just fine.
And no (for all of the truly ignorant) the USPS has not operated on tax dollars for many decades.
1) Saturday delivery would have continued for parcels. Five day delivery reduction was for letters and magazines only.
2) The push for 5-day was PRIMARILY an effort at getting congress to actually DO something regarding postal reform. The biggest component is the $5B retirees health care payment mandate. No surprise; congress did what they always do - the can gets kicked down the road.
Careful, it looks like you’re about ready to go postal. :-)
amen!
Yea I know Amazon’s politics but they provide an wonderful service.
I’ve always had good experiences with USPS package deliveries.
Half the postal delivery options and divide them into two zones. Zone A gets deliveries on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Zone B gets deliveries on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Scrap the Monday holidays except for those few which people in the private sector get.
I rent a postal box which gets deliveries about every other day anyway. We're already getting the service, so lets get the pricing by reducing the USPS workforce into Zone A and Zone B.
Those who do the least whining get to go to the head of the line for the jobs that are going to be created by Amazon (and any other companies wishing to join the consortium) taking over package delivery. Replace the guaranteed USPS pensions with 401K contributions and ESOP or profit sharing plans.
LOL! - sorry, It is usually better to use recommendations from those who know what they are talking about.
BTW, if your PO Box gets mail placed in it about every other day it is because it has no mail to put into it about every other day.
With UPS, my order is at my door in two days (never had any problem with somebody taking it from my porch).
With the Postal Services, if nobody's home (and I work during the day), they take the product back to the Post Office and give me a card I can take back in one or two days to pick up my package - and it's there unless the carrier has decided to try a second delivery (in which case I'm supposed to come back on one or two more days). I miss work to go to the post office.
With Amazon US Postal Service I always have to wait an extra day and take off time from work to pick up the package; sometimes, it may take an extra week to get the package.
FWIW, the grocery store where my P.O. Box substation is located tell me the delivery driver basically comes when he feels like it, which is usually about three times per week and is never consistent. The pattern is no mail for two, three or even four days, then the box is stuffed so full that I have to pick up the excess at the window.
Yeah, I've called the main post office to complain and the situation might improve for a week or two. Or, I might get a subtle warning in the form of crushed and damaged mail.
I'm not certain, but you may be able to complain to the inspection service about that idiot. Tell them you are not receiving your mail on time, and why. Tell them you think your mail may be intentionally damaged due to your complaints for bad service. That carrier needs to be fired.
Thanks for the idea. I’ll give it a try.
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