From the middle of a long press release on third quarter results is this announcement:
[press release]
Canada Post segment reports $13-million profit before tax in third quarter
Significant erosion of mail volumes continues, implementation of Five-point Action Plan well under way
OTTAWA, Nov. 26, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ – The Canada Post segment reported a profit before tax of $13 million in the third quarter compared to a loss before tax of $129 million in the same quarter of 2013. As they were in the second quarter, the results are mostly due to the impact of lower employee benefit costs, continued growth in the Parcels business and new pricing measures for Transaction Mail contained in the Corporation’s Five-point Action Plan. For the first three quarters of 2014, the Canada Post segment reported a profit before tax of $39 million compared to a loss before tax of $165 million for the same period in 2013 and is expected to report a profit for 2014.
Volumes in Transaction Mail, Canada Post’s core business, nevertheless continued to fall as mailers and consumers turn to digital alternatives. Volume erosion picked up speed in the third quarter after being lower than expected in the second quarter. Compared to the same periods in 2013, volumes decreased by 58 million pieces or 6.1 per cent in the third quarter and by 175 million pieces or 5.1 per cent in the first three quarters of 2014.
Employee benefit costs for the Canada Post segment decreased by $48 million for the third quarter of 2014 and by $161 million for the first three quarters of 2014, compared to the same periods in 2013. This is the result of strong pension asset returns in 2013 and an increase in the discount rates used to calculate benefit plan costs in 2014. Employee future benefits, including pension, continue to be highly volatile and unpredictable and remain a significant factor in the Corporation’s operating results.
The Five-point Action Plan, announced in December 2013, is realigning the postal service with Canadians’ changing needs and will return it to financial self-sufficiency. To date, approximately 800,000 households have either been converted from delivery at the door to community mailbox delivery or are in various stages of the conversion process for 2015. In addition, a strong focus on consolidating processing operations in light of the declines in mail volumes is delivering savings.
The Canada Post Group of Companies1 reported a profit before tax of $35 million in the third quarter, compared to a loss before tax of $109 million for the third quarter of 2013. For the first three quarters of 2014, the Group of Companies’ profit before tax was $84 million, compared to a loss before tax of $134 million for the same period in 2013.
Parcels results
Parcels revenue for the Canada Post segment grew by 8.2 per cent to $337 million in the third quarter, while volumes increased by close to three million pieces or 8.1 per cent, compared to the same period last year. Over the first three quarters of 2014, Parcels revenue for the Canada Post segment grew by 8.9 per cent to more than $1 billion, while volumes increased by four million pieces or 4.2 per cent, compared to the same period in 2013.
Transaction Mail results
Largely as a result of the Lettermail price adjustment put in place in the second quarter, revenue from Transaction Mail, which includes mostly letters, bills and statements, rose by 13.7 per cent to $750 million in the third quarter compared to the same period in 2013. Revenue for the first three quarters rose by 6.5 per cent to approximately $2.4 billion compared to the same period last year.
Direct Marketing results
In the third quarter, Direct Marketing volumes for the Canada Post segment decreased by 65 million pieces or 5.6 per cent and revenue fell by $15 million to $279 million, compared to the same period in the prior year. In the first three quarters of 2014, Direct Marketing revenue fell by $32 million or 3.1 per cent to $874 million, and volumes declined by 99 million pieces or 2.2 per cent, compared to the same period last year.
To access the full report in PDF, visit canadapost.ca/aboutus and select “Quarterly Financial Reports” from the Corporate menu.
Five-point Action Plan update:
Canada Post is making considerable progress in implementing the Five-point Action Plan, which is expected to contribute financial benefits of an estimated $700 million to $900 million a year to the Corporation’s bottom line, once fully implemented.
1. Community mailboxes
The Corporation is on track to convert the one third of Canadian addresses that receive mail at their door to community mailbox delivery.
The multi-step conversion process is designed to gather the feedback necessary to develop local solutions for each community.
As of November 25, 2014:
– Customers at approximately 100,000 addresses have been converted to community mailboxes.
– Customers at approximately 700,000 addresses have been notified and are in various stages of the conversion process for 2015, with more than 200,000 to be notified in the coming weeks for conversion in 2015.
– The process is now under way at various stages in every province.
This five-year initiative is forecasted to save $400 million to $500 million a year once fully implemented, the most significant savings of the plan.
2. Lettermail pricing
Following a one-time strategic pricing adjustment that took effect in 2014, regulated stamp prices will remain unchanged in 2015.
Buyers of Permanent stamps (“P” stamps), valid on Standard Lettermail (0-30 g) items mailed within Canada, will continue to pay $0.85 per stamp when purchased in booklets, coils or panes and $1 per stamp when they are purchased one at a time.
3. Expanding convenience through postal franchises
Canada Post opened 45 new franchise postal outlets across the country in the first three quarters of 2014. Typically, franchise outlets are conveniently located and offer better parking and longer hours than corporately managed post offices.
4. Streamlining operations
Throughout 2014 and in the third quarter, Canada Post has taken several significant steps to translate its investments in automation into streamlined operations, productivity gains and operational savings.
Several mail processing operations have been consolidated to allow much greater use of our high-speed automated sorting machines as Lettermail volumes decline. The consolidations move some volumes from plants in such major urban centres as Ottawa, Hamilton and London to major plants in Montréal and Toronto and some volumes from Saint John to Halifax. Other transfers of work to streamline operations have occurred in more than 10 other smaller locales.
Sequencing refers to automated machines sorting mail to the delivery agent’s line of travel, achieving greater efficiency by reducing manual sorting. This year, Canada Post has restructured 112 depots that receive sequenced mail.
In early September, Canada Post officially opened the state-of-the art Pacific Processing Centre in Richmond, B.C. The high-speed automated sorting equipment for Lettermail, parcels and packets allows us to implement motorized delivery and other measures that have produced significant savings wherever they have been introduced across the network. To support the growth of our Parcels business, Canada Post has also invested in new automated parcel sorting at the processing plant in Montréal to achieve productivity gains while meeting the needs of the fast-growing e-commerce sector.
Remote address coding work has been consolidated from several cities to two locations to improve efficiency. All the work from western Canada now occurs at the Pacific Processing Centre and all the work from eastern Canada is done in Toronto.
5. Addressing the cost of labour
Labour costs for the Canada Post segment fell by $13 million in the third quarter and have fallen by $44 million in the first three quarters of 2014, compared to the same periods last year. This is as a result of Canada Post’s continuing efforts to streamline and modernize its operations, as well as one fewer paid day in the first three quarters.
On November 14, 2014 Canada Post and the Association of Postal Officials of Canada (APOC) announced that they had reached a tentative agreement. Before the tentative agreement can be finalized, it will be subject to a ratification vote by employees represented by APOC.
Background
The operations of the Canada Post Group of Companies are funded by the revenue generated by the sale of its products and services, not taxpayer dollars. Canada Post has a mandate from the Government of Canada to remain financially self-sufficient and to provide a standard of postal service that is affordable and meets the needs of the people of Canada.
1. The Canada Post Group of Companies consists of the core Canada Post segment and its three non-wholly owned principal subsidiaries, Purolator Holdings Ltd., SCI Group Inc. and Innovapost Inc.
[press release[
‘STAMPS ON VANS’ – FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ROYAL MAIL SPECIAL STAMPS TO FEATURE ON ITS VANS IN TOWNS AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Royal Mail is, for the first time, to feature images of its Special Stamps on a number of its vehicles
The set of six Christmas Special Stamps will be the first to be publicised in this way from Monday 10 November
Around 1500 vans across the country will feature the images
The stamps will be displayed on vans in 26 towns and cities around the UK including Liverpool, Sheffield, London, Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, Plymouth and Leicester
Royal Mail today announced the launch of a campaign that will see, for the first time ever, images of its Special Stamps featured on its delivery vans,
Beginning with the set of six Christmas stamps, which are now on sale, images of the stamps will appear on around 1,500 Royal Mail vans across 26 towns and cities across the UK.
This will be a rolling programme that will incorporate all of the upcoming Special Stamp issues in 2015. There will be a special emphasis on places across the country that have a strong association with the image on the stamp. The images are printed on adhesive vinyls and applied to the vans.
Andrew Hammond, Royal Mail said: “This is the first in what will be an on-going campaign to feature our Special Stamp Programme across the country using our familiar red postal vans, The size and reach of our fleet should help create high levels of public awareness.”
The Christmas stamps will appear in 26 towns and cities:
London
Birmingham
Glasgow
Leeds
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Bristol
Sheffield
Bradford
Cardiff
Manchester
Leicester
Stoke-on-Trent
Hull
Coventry
Nottingham
Belfast
Plymouth
Sunderland
Brighton
Derby
Wolverhampton
Southampton
Aberdeen
Bangor
Inverness
[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Reports Revenue Increase, $5.5 Billion Loss in Fiscal 2014
WASHINGTON — Due to a cyber-security intrusion that the U.S. Postal Service announced on Nov. 10, management and external auditors are currently reviewing significant financial applications to confirm that the incident did not compromise the financial data needed to file the Postal Service’s fiscal 2014 Form 10-K. There is no indication at this time that the data was compromised, but out of an abundance of caution, the Postal Service will delay filing of the 10-K—which it had planned to do today—until review procedures are complete. The review, which has already begun, is expected to take several more weeks. View the Postal Service’s cyber intrusion statement for more information about the incident.
In the interest of transparency, however, the Postal Service presented unaudited financial results for fiscal 2014 at its open Board of Governors meeting today and will again present the unaudited financial results at a financial briefing call today at 11 a.m.
At the Board meeting, the Postal Service reported that operating revenue increased $569 million in fiscal year 2014 (Oct. 1, 2013 – Sept. 30, 2014). Excluding a one-time adjustment to revenue of $1.3 billion in 2013 resulting from a change in accounting estimate for Forever stamps, 2014 operating revenue would have increased by $1.9 billion. This revenue growth resulted from the January 2014 price increase and strong growth in the Shipping and Packages business. Offsetting this positive news, however, were legislative burdens and constraints that contributed to a $5.5 billion net loss in 2014. This eighth consecutive annual net loss underscores the need for comprehensive legislation to repair the Postal Service’s broken business model.
The net loss includes $5.7 billion for the prefunding requirement of the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Fund and an additional $1.2 billion in non-cash workers’ compensation expense, consisting of $485 million related to changes in interest rates and $697 million of other non-cash workers’ compensation expense. These items are outside of management’s control.
“We have grown our revenue for two years in a row, primarily through growth in our package business and price changes, and we are making strong progress in many core areas of our business — from operational performance, to data and technology use, to developing and marketing new products and services — all of which are helping to build a strong foundation for the future of the organization,” said Postmaster General and CEO Patrick R. Donahoe. “While we still have major issues to resolve with regard to our business model and legislative constraints, our message today is about momentum and progress.”
“In 2014 we set another record for productivity,” said Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett. “Even as we continued growing our package business, we reduced work hours, transportation expenses, and compensation and benefits expenses.
“The legally mandated $5.7 billion prefunding requirement for the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Fund contributed to our continuing losses,” said Corbett. “Due to lack of sufficient cash, we were forced to default on the $5.7 billion prepayment, underscoring the need for legislative change.”
The Postal Service’s key legislative requirements:
Results of Operations
Highlights of yearly results compared to the same period last year:
Operating revenue was $67.8 billion compared to $67.2 billion in 2013. Without the 2013 one-time adjustment as noted above, 2014 operating revenue increased by $1.9 billion over last year’s revenue. As a result of growth in our package business and the price increases implemented, this is the second consecutive year of revenue growth, reversing a four-year trend of revenue declines that began in 2008.
Total mail volume was 155.4 billion pieces compared to 158.2 billion pieces a year ago, a decrease of 2.8 billion pieces or 1.8 percent. Shipping and Package Services volume grew by 300 million pieces, an increase of 8.1 percent. First-Class Mail, our most profitable service line, and Standard Mail volume decreased by 2.2 billion and 495 million pieces, respectively.
Operating expenses were $73.2 billion in 2014 compared to $72.1 billion in 2013. A non-cash adjustment for interest rate changes associated with workers’ compensation caused $2.2 billion of the increase year over year. This was offset by a $737 million reduction in other workers’ compensation expense and a $708 million reduction in compensation and benefits expenses.
Expenses include the required $5.7 billion contribution to the retiree health care benefits fund that the Postal Service was unable to make by the due date of Sept. 30, 2014. Unless legislation reforms the retiree health care benefits program, the Postal Service will likely be forced to default on its prefunding obligations in 2015 and 2016.
The resulting net loss for the 2014 fiscal year was $5.5 billion compared to a net loss of $5.0 billion in 2013.
[press release]
Postal Service Board of Governors Selects Megan Brennan as 74th Postmaster General and CEO of the United States Postal Service
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors today announced the appointment of Megan J. Brennan, the current chief operating officer of the Postal Service, as the 74th Postmaster General and CEO.
Speaking at a public meeting of the Board this morning, Mickey D. Barnett, chairman of the Postal Service Board of Governors, praised Brennan – who will become the first woman to be Postmaster General – as the ideal choice to replace the current Postmaster General, Patrick R. Donahoe, who will be retiring in early 2015.
“Megan has demonstrated outstanding vision, leadership and executive ability in her role as chief operating officer, and has been extraordinarily successful in managing the operations of the Postal Service,” said Barnett.” She is highly regarded throughout the Postal Service and among the broader community of our major customers and business partners – and rightly so.”
As chief operation officer, Brennan is responsible for the day-to-day activities of 491,000 career employees working in more than 31,000 facilities supported by a fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles. She is responsible for all Postal Service operations, including mail processing, transportation, delivery and retail operations.
“As the head of operations, Megan has led important initiatives to provide Sunday delivery services, improved tracking, and greater predictability and reliability,” said Barnett. “She has also been highly successful in rationalizing our mail processing, delivery and retail operations.”
Barnett also commended Brennan’s role in maintaining a high delivery performances in the face of a significant and continued reduction in workforce and resources. “Megan has managed some very large, complex organizational changes and the Postal Service never missed a beat in terms meeting customer expectations,” said Barnett. “She instills great confidence in the ability of the organization to succeed and achieve its business goals.”
“I am deeply honored and humbled to take on this role at such an exciting time for the organization,” said Brennan. “The Postal Service plays a vital role in America’s society and economy and I’m looking forward to strengthening that role and meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving marketplace in the years ahead.”
Megan J. Brennan was named Chief Operating Officer and executive vice president in December 2010. Reporting directly to the Postmaster General, Brennan has led the continuous improvement of the postal network operation as well as the allocations of people and resources.
Previously she was vice president of Eastern Area Operations. As the senior postal official she oversaw an area that encompassed Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, Central and South Jersey, Western New York and parts of Virginia and Indiana. A 28-year veteran of the Postal Service, Brennan served as vice president of Northeast Area Operations from May 2005 until being named vice president of Eastern Area Operations.
Brennan joined the Postal Service in 1986 as a letter carrier in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and began her management career as a delivery and collection supervisor. Brennan is a graduate of Immaculata College in Pennsylvania. She is a Sloan Fellow and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
[press release]
Postmaster General Donahoe to Retire February 2015
Praised highly by Postal Governors for leading organization through financial crisis
WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service Board of G
overnors announced [November 14th] that Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Patrick R. Donahoe has decided to retire February 1, 2015, after 39 years with the Postal Service.
At a public meeting of the Board of Governors this morning, Mickey D. Barnett, Chairman of the Board, called Donahoe a visionary leader who worked tirelessly to move the organization forward during one of its most difficult periods.
“Pat was the calm in the financial storm. He ignored the naysayers and went forward with his team and built a comprehensive plan for the future of the organization, made tough decisions, and executed against those decisions,” said Barnett. “That’s a testament to the great team he built and his own personal leadership.”
Donahoe became Postmaster General during a severe financial crisis, the result of an inflexible business model that limited the organization’s ability to respond to declining First-Class Mail volumes. Donahoe created an integrated financial plan and took aggressive measures to control costs – including the rationalization of mail processing, delivery and Post Office operations. These changes have significantly lowered the cost base of the Postal Service.
Commenting on the fact that the Postal Service has roughly 220,000 fewer employees today than it did in 2004, Barnett noted that “no other organization has restructured itself so dramatically and on such a large scale, and continued functioning at such a high level. And it did so without relying upon employee lay-offs.”
“That’s the result of Pat taking responsible steps to ensure that changes don’t come at the expense of those who have made their career at the Postal Service,” said Barnett. “There were plenty who argued for layoffs and other dramatic steps and Pat was always the voice that argued for doing the right thing for the organization and the employees – and that’s a tremendous legacy.”
“Pat’s leadership and advocacy for the organization has been remarkable,” said Barnett. “He has been an excellent strategist for the organization and the mailing industry it serves.”
Donahoe served as a constant cheerleader for mail as a marketing channel and pushed for more integration between mail and digital communications in the mailing industry. Under his leadership, the Postal Service launched several new mailing products and enhancements including Every Door Direct Mail which has generated more than $1 billion in new revenue. Donahoe also guided the organization’s shipping and package strategies to capitalize on the rapid increase of e-commerce. In the last few years, the Postal Service has seen double digit growth each year in its package business.
Speaking this morning, Donahoe said he believes the organization is headed in the right direction, but still has a long way to go. “The organization has a lot of momentum right now, and we’re doing a lot to innovate and improve the way we serve the public and our customers,” stated Donahoe. “The nature of delivery is changing dramatically and the Postal Service will continue to be an important part of those changes.”
Appointed Postmaster General by the Postal Service Board of Governors in October, 2010, Mr. Donahoe began his 39-year USPS career as a clerk in Pittsburgh, PA while attending college at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to his appointment as the organization’s top officer, he served as Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer.
“Working for a brand that touches every citizen of this great country every day has been a tremendous honor,” stated Donahoe. “It’s always difficult to walk away from something you love and have a lot of passion for, but knowing that the organization is moving forward with a strong plan and lot of momentum makes it easier.”
A native of Pittsburgh, Mr. Donahoe and his wife have two children and two grandchildren.”
[Donahoe will be succeeded by Megan Brennan, the first woman to hold the post. The press release is here.]
[press release]
Postal Service Statement on Cyber Intrusion Incident
The Postal Service has recently learned of a cyber security intrusion into some of our information systems. We began investigating this incident as soon as we learned of it, and we are cooperating with the investigation, which is ongoing. The investigation is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and joined by other federal and postal investigatory agencies. The intrusion is limited in scope and all operations of the Postal Service are functioning normally.
Information potentially compromised in the incident may include personally identifiable information about employees, including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, beginning and end dates of employment, emergency contact information and other information.
Postal Service transactional revenue systems in Post Offices as well as on usps.com where customers pay for services with credit and debit cards have not been affected by this incident. There is no evidence that any customer credit card information from retail or online purchases such as Click-N-Ship, the Postal Store, PostalOne!, change of address or other services was compromised.
The intrusion also compromised call center data for customers who contacted the Postal Service Customer Care Center with an inquiry via telephone or e-mail between Jan. 1, 2014, and Aug. 16, 2014. This compromised data consists of names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and other information for those customers who may have provided this information. At this time, we do not believe that potentially affected customers need to take any action as a result of this incident.
The privacy and security of data entrusted to us is of the utmost importance. We have recently implemented additional security measures designed to improve the security of our information systems, including certain actions this past weekend that caused certain systems to be off-line. We know this caused inconvenience to some of our customers and partners, and we apologize for any disruption.
We began communicating this morning with our employees about this incident, apologized to them for it, and have let them know that we will be providing them with credit monitoring services for one year at no charge to them. Employees also have the personalized assistance available to them provided by the Human Resources Shared Services Center. We are committed to helping our employees deal with this situation.
Added: A source tells ABC News the attack originated in China.
Statement by Mark Dimondstein, President, American Postal Workers Union:
The American Postal Workers Union is outraged by revelations that employee information has been compromised by a “cyber intrusion” of the U.S. Postal Service data systems.
Postal management is responsible for protecting employee privacy. We intend to make sure the USPS takes steps to prevent such a breach from happening again and that employees are protected from any negative consequences resulting from the breach.
Although we are deeply distressed by the exposure of confidential employee information, we are pleased that the cyber attack does not seem to have involved postal customers. Our members are committed to providing excellent service to the people of our country.
[press release]
Postal Service to Deliver Packages Seven Days a Week During Holidays
Double-digit package growth predicted during the busy holiday shipping season
WASHINGTON — The Postal Service kicked off the holiday shipping season today by announcing that it will be delivering packages seven days a week in major cities and high volume areas starting Nov. 17 through Christmas Day in response to expected double-digit package volume growth.1
“The Postal Service will be out making deliveries every single day during the holiday season, including Christmas Day,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe (right). “During the holidays, no carrier makes more deliveries to more places than the Postal Service, and this year, we’re raising the bar with enhanced tracking and Sunday delivery.”
The demand for package service has grown as online retailers ship more products to their customers. The Postal Service is adding package delivery on Sundays during the holidays to prepare for the heavy shipping season.
“Every household in America relies on us to get their packages in time for the holidays, and we take great pride in taking on that responsibility,” said Donahoe. “We’re prepared to do whatever it takes to deliver for our customers.”
Double-digit Growth
Due to continued e-commerce growth and improvements to its Priority Mail product line, the Postal Service is expecting double-digit growth in its package business this holiday season, likely in the range of 450 to 470 million packages. That equates to roughly 12 percent growth over the same period last year.
“Football has its season. But the holidays? That’s our season,” said Donahoe. “That’s crunch time for us, and year after year, we step up our game. E-commerce package business continues to be a big player now more than ever, so we’ve enhanced our network to ensure America that we’ll deliver their cards, gifts and letters in time for the holidays.”
While its competitors recently announced price increases, the Postal Service lowered some of its prices for businesses and frequent shippers. The new Priority Mail pricing offers affordable shipping options along with improved tracking and reliability for business customers.
“The Postal Service is a vital business partner for small and large businesses and lowering shipping prices will save them money and improve their bottom line,” said Nagisa Manabe, chief marketing and sales officer. “With our affordable shipping options, we hope to attract new business customers and become their preferred delivery service.”
2014 Christmas Shipping Deadlines
For expected delivery of holiday mail and packages by Christmas, the Postal Service recommends keeping the following mailing and shipping deadlines in mind:
Dec. 2 – First-Class Mail International/Priority Mail International
Dec. 10 – Priority Mail Express International
Dec. 15 – Standard Post
Dec. 17 – Global Express Guaranteed2
Dec. 20 – First-Class Mail/Priority Mail (domestic)
Dec. 23 – Priority Mail Express (domestic)
Skip the lines and ship online
Consumers can avoid holiday hassles by visiting usps.com — the Postal Service’s website that will help make mailing and shipping easier. Nearly 75 million customers will skip the trip to the Post Office altogether and take advantage of convenient online shipping this holiday season. Click-N-Ship and other online services allow customers to print shipping labels, order free Priority Mail boxes, purchase postage and even request free next-day Package Pickup.
Launching holiday advertising campaign
The Postal Service is also launching its advertising campaign today with a wide range of media activities, ranging from direct mail to television and print advertisements, to social media and digital promotion.
“Our holiday marketing effort will be built around the idea that the Postal Service has been planning all year for this season and we are prepared to deliver the holidays for America,” said Manabe. “Our advertising goal is to attract new consumer and business customers and provide assurance for our customers that they can depend on our affordable and reliable service to deliver their mail and packages during this season.”
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.”
Notes:
1 Exclusions may apply; visit usps.com for more details.
2 Mail-by date does not take into account time needed for customs clearance. Allocate extra transit day(s) for delivery outside major cities.
[press release]
Santa’s post office getting busier and busier!
Thousands of letters already received; Santa expected to answer more than 1.5 million this season from children all over the world
NORTH POLE, Canada, Nov. 5, 2014 /CNW/ – Each year, the holiday season puts a spotlight on popular toys and new exciting trends, but one timeless holiday tradition is still going strong for children all over the world. Already, Santa’s post office is reporting letters are pouring in – with the first one received in July, reminding Santa to eat well and exercise in anticipation of a very busy holiday season.
Santa’s Chief Postal Elf Holly T. Elf is reporting that already some 10,000 letters have come in, keeping postal elves busy. An increase of about 10% in letters is expected this year, meaning that Santa’s post office could answer over 1.5 million letters this season in more than 30 languages, including Braille. Santa and his 6,000 postal elves will ensure that each and every letter will get a response in time for Christmas.
“I encourage all the girls and boys to send their letter to Santa soon,” says Holly T. Elf, who started working at the North Pole post office more than 30 years ago. “And don’t forget to include your return address. While Santa knows where your house is, the postal elf team needs your address to ensure your letter will be delivered on time.”
All letters to Santa should be mailed before December 16 to give Santa enough time to send a letter back. Postage is not required for letters to Santa – but encouraging proper addressing is a good learning experience for all. Santa’s address is:
Santa Claus
North Pole
Canada HOH OHOK
About Santa’s post office
Canada Post’s national Santa Letter-writing Program officially began 33 years ago, though local programs began even earlier. For the past 13 years, the program has averaged one million letters or more a year and in total answered more than 23.2 million letters. The program could not exist without the help of current and retired employees of Canada Post who volunteer their time to ensure each letter is answered. The company extends its sincere thanks to all volunteers. To learn more about Santa’s post office please visit canadapost.ca/santa or view Santa’s video message here.
Update October 14th: Susan McGowan is still head of Stamp Services; she is on a detail with the “sales group.” “We expect her to return,” USPS spokesman Mark Saunders told The Virtual Stamp Club.
The decision to replace Susan McGowan as manager of USPS Stamp Services was reported by Bill McAllister of Linn’s Stamp News less than a day before what is supposed to be the Postal Service’s “blockbuster issue” was released, Batman. No reason was given.
McGowan had a rocky relationship with stamp collectors. With the stamp collecting press, too. Jay Bigalke of Linn’s Stamp News (shown interviewing McGowan at the National Postal Museum last September) first met McGowan when she chewed him out at AmeriStamp Expo 2013. Bigalke had reported on upcoming issues for 2013, which Stamp Services had not yet announced.
McGowan will be replaced, at least on an interim basis, by Cindy Tackett (left), a long-time staffer in Stamp Services who has often worked directly with stamp collectors.
More details are on the Linn’s website. You can leave your comments right here. Some of Lloyd’s thoughts are in his radio feature.
