Understanding Postal: Caught in the Postal Downstream

1. Pay attention to what’s going on in Washington and advocate for your company’s general needs.
2. Determine your specific business needs as they relate to the Postal Service.
3. Build a relationship with your elected representatives. Communicate to them your business needs and how they impact your employment.
4. Engage and support those working with the Postal Service and Congress to figure out viable solutions to this complex problem.
5. Stay informed as to how various alternative approaches may impact your business.

Despite all the postal tumult, ACMA’s raison d’etre, lobbying for lower or stable catalog postage, is under control — at least for now. Effective Jan. 22, catalog mailers are subject to a consumer price index-capped 2.2 percent rate increase for Standard Mail flats and a 2.4 percent rate hike for Carrier Route flats, the two primary catalog mail categories. While no increase is ideal, these modest increases are certainly doable for most direct marketers. There is, however, an exigency rate case on the table.