The U.S. Postal Service today, February 6, 2013, announced that it would end mail delivery on Saturdays as part of its strategy to curb losses. Just last year, the Postal Service bled $15.9 billion. For small businesses, that means more planning to get direct mail flyers to customers.
The Postal Service will still deliver packages on Saturdays, allaying fears that the only time personal packages will be delivered are when customers are at work. However, the end of Saturday delivery for regular mail is August 1, 2013.
Any small business planning a direct mail flyer promotion to its customers will need to account for the change. They'll need to send promotions at least one day earlier, possibly two, if they want the mailings to reach their intended targets - particularly if they're planning a Saturday or Sunday sale.
However, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Congress may halt the Postal Service's move. Previous Congressional appropriations bills have included moratoriums on ending Saturday delivery, and currently, it's unclear whether or not the Postal Service can take action without Congressional approval.
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