WASHINGTON DC ~ Bipartisan plan announced by the United States Senate this week would throw a lifeline to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) while keeping a six-day mail delivery for at least the next two years.  ~  Associated Press reported.

Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee will look at the proposal next week. In this new proposal, along with many other things, encourages cuts in employee staff and refunding the nearly $7 billion in overpayments USPS paid into the Federal Employee Retirement System.

This inturn could be used to offer early retirement to a large number of postal workers.

The new proposal seems to boad well for the periodical postal pieces.  This will be great news for the Magazine Industry if this paln goes into effect.

In closing if passed this would also allow the USPS to go forward and close many USPS properties

As more customers choose to conduct their postal business online, with their smartphones and at their favorite shopping destinations, the need for USPS to maintain the largest retail network in the country diminishes.

To that end, the Postal Service today announced it is taking the next step in rightsizing its expansive retail network by conducting studies of approximately 3,700 retail offices to determine customer needs. As part of this effort, the Postal Service also has introduced a retail-replacement option for affected communities around the nation

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” said PMG Pat Donahoe. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical Post Office to conduct most of their postal business.”

USPS has introduced the Village Post Office as a potential replacement option for communities currently without a postal retail office and those affected by retail optimization efforts. Village Post Offices would be operated by local businesse — such as pharmacies, grocery stores and other appropriate retailers — and would offer popular postal products and services such as stamps and flat-rate packaging.

“By working with third-party retailers, we’re creating easier, more convenient access to our products and services when and where our customers want them,” said Donahoe. “The Village Post Office will offer another way for us to meet our customers’ needs.”

With 32,000 postal retail offices and more than 70,000 third-party retailers — Approved Postal Providers — selling postage stamps and providing expanded access to other postal products and services, customers today have about 100,000 locations across the nation where they can do business with the Postal Service.

“The Postal Service of the future will be smaller, leaner and more competitive, and it will continue to drive commerce, serve communities and deliver value,” said Donahoe.

Click here for additional information.

The benefits of using QR Codes
In my opinion QR Codes are the biggest innovation to hit the print world since color ink! 

The reason I say this is that recent reports show many sites have more people access websites from mobile devices than from a PC.  QR Codes are for print what hyperlinks are for online.  Imagine a simple little scan from a mobile device and your client, prospect or participant will land directly on your product or service that you desire.  “It’s that simple”! No more typing into a small phone QWERTY keyboard is enough incentive to put a QR Code on every direct mail piece you can. The “KEY” QR Code use is to make it simple for your audience. With the enormous amount of smart phones on the market, which is rapidly growing the QR Code will be around for a very long time.

Just imagine these benefits:

• Engage recipients when they are on-the-go
• Prompt response to shorten response times ~ Instant interaction
• Reduce the amount of printed material on printed piece
• Promote sale items, services, events etc in real time
• Use a capture page to gather leads or get surveys
• Streamline the process to your landing page
• Establish that you are tech-saavy
• Encourage social media interaction on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook
• Analytics and real time stats on how many access your material via mobile device
• The list goes on and on…

QR Codes for business is exploding and companies that are using them are seeing great benefits and ultimately saving money and having higher response rates. The results are exciting!  

During the months of July and August 2011 you can save 3% on your postage, click HERE to learn more.

If you would like to explore the huge advantages of QR codes on your printed items please click HERE to contact a FCP representative today! 

Canada Post Employees Back-To- Work Tonight

USPS To Begin Accepting Mail Destined For Canada Tomorrow 

Back-To-Work Legislation was passed by Canadian Government Sunday night.  Canadian Postal employees will be back on the job beginning tonight at 8:30 p.m.  The USPS will begin accepting mail for Canada, June 28th, 2011.   Mail being held in the USPS network since the lockout began is now being released and transported into Canada. 

Due to the large volumes of mail being held  by countries  around the globe during the lockout,  Canadain bound mail may experience slightly longer transit times.  We expect that to ease as delivery in Canada returns to normal.   We are continuing to work closely with the Canadian Postal Service to help minimize these delays as much as possible.  

Canada Post and Union at an Impasse
A Vote on Back To Work Legislation Coming Soon

United States Postal Service is still not accepting any mail to Canada except for GXG (Global Express Guaranteed®). 

Legislation was introduced earlier in the week to the Canadian Government to force workers back to work.  With the contract negotiations between the union and Canada Post at a standstill, The Canadian Government will now begin the discussion and voting process to move forward.  Canada Post has notified the USPS that the Canadian Government has agreed to work through the weekend if necessary to bring this legislation to a vote.  We will await the results of the vote and Canada Post's anticipated return to normal operations.  Once Forum Printing has that information we will update you as to when we will again be accepting shipments to Canada.  

All mail currently being held in the USPS network will also be released and begin moving into Canada once USPS gets notification from Canada Post of when they will be returning to normal operations.  We have been in constant contact with them and are working on plans to ensure delays are minimized as much as possible. 

Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) is still available for delivery into Canada and to avoid any delays in service.

CANADA POST SUSPENDS OPERATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

USPS CONTINGENCY PLAN

Canada Post announced last night that they are suspending service nation-wide effective immediately and until further notice.  USPS officials have been in constant contact with Canada Post  and will continue to closely monitor the strike situation and work on contingency plans to keep as much mail flowing into Canada as possible.

At this time, the Postal Service will continue to accept and process mail destined to Canada.  If Canada Post is unable to end the strike by COB tomorrow, June 16, 2011, all mail service to Canada will be suspended with the exception of Global Express Guaranteed (GXG). 

Customers  will still be able to send letters and packages using Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) service. GXG is available online at www.usps.com and at thousands of participating retail locations throughout the U.S. as well as Forum Communications Printing. 

Forum Printing will continue to keep our customers informed who are sending items into Canada.   

For additional information and updates regarding acceptance and movement of international mail http://www.usps.com/communications/news/serviceupdates.htm 

     2011 Mobile Barcode Promotion
The Mobile Barcode Promotion was approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission on May 17, 2011.
      Mobile barcodes are two-dimensional barcodes that can be read by any smartphone with a 2d barcode reader application. These mobile barcodes, when scanned, can direct an otherwise passive customer to take immediate action – make a purchase, register for an event, or download a coupon.

Program Goals
The Mobile Barcode Promotion was designed to build awareness of mobile barcodes and demonstrate to mailers how mobile barcodes can increase the value of mail, while "blurring" the lines between online and offline marketing.

How does the Program work?
The Mobile Barcode Promotion runs July 1, 2011 through August 31, 2011, providing business mailers with an upfront three percent discount on Standard Mail and First-Class Mail® letters and flats that include a mobile barcode.

Read more by clicking here or click HERE to contact a FCP represenative to get started today.

Another winter storn has slowed or stalled mail delivery in many upper midwest communities.

March snow storms can produce a lot of wet heavy snow that can really slow things down.  This snow storm has produced a lot of it and closed many highways and forced much of the mail to come to a halt as well.

Click here to read all about it in The Forum of Fargo Moorhead.

Printing Impressions 400 provides the printing industry’s most comprehensive ranking of the top leading printing companies in the United States and Canada. 

Forum Communications Printing ( Printing plants in Fargo, West Fargo, ND & Detroit Lakes, MN) moved up in the ranking from prior year not from more sales but from other printers losing dollar volume from the poor economic conditions!  

Read all about it by clicking here.