© 2024
NPR for Northern Colorado
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

More Than Just Shoppers to Benefit from Cyber Monday

Aranami
/
Creative Commons

Americans are expectedto spend more than $1.2 billion Monday taking advantage of online holiday deals. That’s great news for the U.S. Post Office, which is predicting a 20 percent jump in handling of holiday packages this year.

Last fiscal year the beleaguered agency reported losing a record $16 billion. David Rupert with the USPS in Denver says online holiday shopping is one way the U.S. Post Office hopes to make up for the recent decline in mail volume.

“We go to every single address six times a week. So it’s becoming a place for us to make up for some of the electronic bill paying that we’ve lost—that first-class mail volume,” he says.

But while the volume is good news for the USPS this season, it could translate into long lines at the local post office. Rupert and the USPS are encouraging people to send their holiday gifts before the rush.

“If you absolutely have to wait until the last minute, in many places we’re delivering Express mail up to the last minute, but it will cost you,” he says.

December 10 is the deadline for mail destined for military members overseas.

The other deadlines include:

  • First Class letters by Dec. 21
  • Priority mail by Dec. 22
  • Express Mail by Dec 23

For a complete list of holiday mailing deadlines, click here.