6 in 10 Americans favor ending Saturday mail

Saturday mail delivery coming to an end

The mail man will be coming around a little less frequently this summer, as the U.S. Postal Service plans to withdraw Saturday service by this August. With the proposed change, mail will be delivered Monday through Friday only, and Saturday mail will be limited to packages only. The move is estimated to save the postal service $2 billion annually, and according to a recent Gallup poll, 6 in 10 Americans are in favor of the decision to end residential mail delivery on Saturdays.

Congress will still have to approve the proposed change, but as evidenced in the poll, many Americans see the benefits of reducing postal service. Many are also in favor of reducing the number of days post offices are open. However the poll did find two factions that are in opposition to the proposed change – nonwhites and young adults. Researchers explain that those of a “higher socioeconomic status — including upper-income adults and those with more formal education — are the groups most likely to support ending Saturday delivery.”

What this means for business

Most businesses won’t be negatively affected by the proposed change, as most communications can be conducted in a paperless manner. However employees who are paid by mailed check, and don’t work for companies with a direct deposit offering, could have to wait longer to receive payment with the proposed change, prompting these companies to adopt new payment methods in order to meet employee needs and expectations. Additionally, companies that regularly send direct mail and packages small enough to be placed in mailboxes rather than on the front step will have one less day available for postal service home delivery.

These companies will either have to ship items via private companies or prompt customers to retrieve items delivered on a Saturday at their closest post office. This will be a change of pace for consumers used to the convenience of items being delivered to their door, but if post office hours remain unchanged, they can opt to go to the post office to pick up their mail instead. It’s important to note that mail will still be transported on Saturdays, it just won’t go out for residential delivery should the proposal go through.

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