San Francisco, CA, City Carrier Assistant Tin San, left, helps load a postal vehicle for early morning deliveries.
USPS is testing the feasibility of delivering groceries in some communities as part of a broader effort to use the Postal Service’s extensive network to meet customers’ changing needs.
The two-month test, which began in August, is being conducted in San Francisco with Amazon. Customers can order groceries through the Amazon Fresh service and the Postal Service will deliver them early the next day, between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m.
More than 500,000 items are available through Amazon Fresh. Because perishables are delivered in insulated tote bags, refrigerated trucks aren’t required.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the test last week, calling it another example of how the Postal Service is “aggressively” building its package delivery business, which has grown 20 percent during the past five years.
“The Postal Service is always seeking new ways to serve our customers,” said COO Megan Brennan. “This test is another reflection of our commitment to innovation, especially in the area of package delivery, which is a real strength for our organization.”
USPS recently lowered Priority Mail rates to attract more business customers. The Postal Service is also streamlining its mail processing operations so it can invest in new package sorting equipment and other upgrades.
USPS started a Sunday delivery service last year, with Amazon as its first customer.
I had an ordinary first class parcel delivered on Sunday. I did not know we were doing that until that day. It was a small parcel, $3 or so to mail. It was sent from Amazon and I see above that we are doing that. I must have missed the press release.
Add that the abandonment of rural america saved less then 1% of the entire USPS budget and you see the weird thinking of HQ at work once again.
Just missed…….in San Francisco you can go to the store, in rural nowhere, you could actually use this as survival, but the USPS has abandoned rural america.