The United States Postal Service (USPS) has been given the green light by the Postal Service Regulatory Commission to deliver bins of groceries from 3am to 7am on a two-year trial. The trial will start off in the San Francisco area. The post office will also be allowed to expand the project if it proves successful.
The Postal Service says it aims expand the service across the country.
The Commission said it hopes that by offering a customized delivery service, the troubled USPS will have the opportunity of having access to an additional revenue stream. It emphasized the need for flexibility in a changing economy, and gave examples of new services, such as Uber and Lyft.
The Taxpayers Protection Alliance is against the measure, saying that USPS has a vast operational reach and an unfair edge over other businesses. According to US Federal Codes, USPS is not allowed to create any program that gives itself an unfair advantage (competitive edge).
David Williams, of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance said “Whenever the government competes with the private sector, we’re concerned.”
In a trial with Amazon.com, USPS has been delivering groceries to 38 ZIP codes around the San Francisco area. The Postal Service says the test “is designed for retailers to deliver groceries and other prepackaged goods in a customized delivery window, tailored to their unique offerings and customer base. In addition to testing the operational feasibility of customized delivery windows, this market test will also assist the Postal Service in determining the optimal pricing structure for this type of service.”
The postman may be bringing fruit and veggies right to your doorstep soon.
In a statement, the Postal Service Regulatory Commission wrote:
“The Commission finds that the Customized Delivery market test meets the requirements of 39 U.S.C. § 3641(b) and therefore authorizes the market test to proceed.”
The Commission added that it would limit the revenues to $10 million. However, USPS was also told that it could apply for an exemption to exceed that sum. USPS said in its petition that it estimates revenues will be at least that much.