Postal Service Statement:Publication of Final Rule on Retail Discontinuance Actions

The Postal Service will publish a final rule in tomorrow’s Federal Register that revises the procedures for discontinuance of Postal Service-operated retail outlets. These regulations enhance transparency and public participation, increase the efficiency of the discontinuance process, and ensure sound business judgment in decisions for the Postal Service’s retail operations. The revised procedures include the following features:

Top-Down Process: The final rule allows Postal Service headquarters management to identify candidate offices for initial feasibility studies, thereby enhancing consistency of approach in field units.

Factors Informing an Initial Feasibility Study: The final rule clarifies the factors that could be used to identify candidate retail units for an initial feasibility study to include earned workload, insufficient customer demand and the availability of alternate expanded access channels.

Process Management: The final rule enables improvements to be made in the administration and management of the discontinuance process.

Station and Branch Discontinuance: The final rule enhances public input and transparency in connection with reviews of USPS-operated stations and branches through use of the public posting requirements and public input procedures.

An advance copy of the final rule is now available online at http://www.federalregister.gov/learn/public-inspection-desk.

By consolidating facilities and operations, adjusting delivery routes and restructuring administrative and processing functions, the Postal Service is adapting to meet the evolving needs of its customers. With an abundance of locations that offer postal products and services — including grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, and other retailers, both physical and online — customers have more than twice the number of outlets for postal products and services compared to brick-and-mortar Post Offices. With usps.com, customers can request free Priority Mail Flat Rate packaging, print labels, pay for postage with Click-N-Ship and request Carrier Pickup for packages at no extra charge.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.