There are countless theories on why the USPS is in financial crisis. But regardless of the underlying reasons for the USPS’ troubles, the postal service has been making a lot of headlines as of late for rate increases and plant reorganization that will affect both businesses and consumers alike.
Last Monday, Dec. 5, the US Postal Service filed its proposals with US regulators seeking to adjust key service standards as it cuts the size of its mail processing network by more than a half. The change will affect First Class Mail, as the service will now change from a one-to-three-day service to a two-to-three-day service for the continental United States. The change in USPS First Class mail time will have far-reaching implications for businesses in every sector. Continue reading “USPS Cuts Back, Creates Longer First Class Mail Delivery Times” »
Last week, we discussed annual shipping cost increases and provided some useful tips on packaging optimization and how to work with your 
Death, taxes and annual shipping cost increases. Every January, most of the package carriers increase shipping prices. For 2012, DHL has already announced their increase. And it won’t be long before other carriers follow suit. This past January, UPS and FedEx announced average increases of 4.9 percent, and USPS wasn’t far behind at 3.6 percent. “These percentage increases can be misleading because they represent carriers’ average increases,” said Ayal Latz, “Specific rate changes by service, zone and weight and package size vary wildly as carriers respond to market demand, target market share goals and attempt to neutralize the very moves that our industry has enacted to lower shipping costs.” So what can you do as a shipper? 
Direct Response marketers can save money on shipping costs by learning lessons developed by package consolidators. Consolidators combine many packages into one larger unit. This one heavier item ships at a lower cost per pound than the many lighter packages. Upon arrival at a hub, the larger package is broken down into the components for final delivery. 
Canada is our friendly, like-minded neighbor to the north with a considerable collective buying power that seems to be getting more and more attention from big business. Major U.S. retailers, both storefront and online, have recently begun to acknowledge and respond to Canadian consumers by opening 
A2b just returned from a busy and exciting few days at the Electronic Retailing Association’s 21st annual D2C Convention in Las Vegas. The convention is the one show for the direct-to-consumer industry, and features “top notch, industry-focused education sessions; outstanding networking opportunities including the Opening Reception; and special events including the newly named ERA Moxie Awards Gala” says the ERA website.
“Reverse logistics” – what exactly is that? Many readers don’t understand what it means or its implications for businesses. And you’re not alone – many attempts have been made to define 
It goes without saying that financial times are tough for just about every business in the current economic landscape. Managers are facing difficult decisions concerning where to cut spending while still maintaining the same level of quality and service. Outsourcing to a third-party logistics company can be a viable solution to save valuable time and money. 
Consumer-direct campaigns have always eyed the 33,000,000 Canadian market. But fulfilling orders from a US-based fulfillment center to a Canadian consumer is not an easy task. Transit times are long, tracking is poor and each package must pass through customs. In many cases, the Canadian consumer must pay duties to the delivering carrier upon receipt of the item, which is not consumer friendly and results in a high percentage of packages being refused.
It’s the inevitable – a data entry error, a customer gives the incorrect address, or the receiver refuses the shipment, thus sending your perfectly packed order right back to your door.
