BOISE, ID — That knock at the door on Sunday just may be a postal carrier with a holiday package. Beginning Sunday, Dec. 7, Postal Service carriers in 8 Idaho cities will deliver packages 7 days a week through Christmas: Boise, Caldwell, Idaho Falls, Meridian, Nampa, Pocatello, Rexburg and Twin Falls. Some Post Offices began limited Sunday package delivery as early as Nov. 30.
“The Postal Service ships more packages to more places than anyone else,” said Boise Postmaster Dan Corral. “During the holidays, we’re raising the bar with enhanced tracking and Sunday delivery providing excellent service and reliability that only Santa can compete with.”
The Postal Service expects to deliver 470 million packages this holiday season, an increase of 12 percent compared to last year. A similar increase is expected in Idaho. Corral cites growth in e-commerce and improvements to its Priority Mail product line, including improved tracking and free insurance, for the surge in packages.
“Every household in America relies on us to get their packages home for the holidays and we take great pride in taking on that responsibility,” said Corral. “We’re prepared to do whatever it takes to deliver for our customers.”
In addition to Sunday package delivery, the Caldwell, Nampa, and Pocatello Main Post Offices, and the Twin Falls Pioneer Station, will extend Saturday retail hours to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 6, 13, and 20, with the Meridian Post Office open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The following Boise Post Offices will extend Saturday retail hours to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 20, with the exception of the Boise Main Post Office which will open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.:
- Boise Main 770 S. 13th St.
- Borah 750 W. Bannock St.
- Cole Village 3485 N. Cole Rd.
- Collister 4650 W. State St.
- Five Mile 1350 S. Five Mile Rd.
- Garden City 8100 W. Marigold St.
- Oregon Trail 2208 E. Summersweet Dr.
On Sunday, Dec. 14 and 21, the Nampa, Caldwell and Boise Main Post Offices will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Customers can go online to usps.com or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) to find their nearest postal location and retail hours.
“Extending retail hours will help our customers get their packages in the mail at a time that is convenient for them,” said Boise Postmaster Dan Corral. “It’s also a good time for customers who have been notified to pick up a package.”
While Saturday hours are being extended and Sunday hours added, Corral reminds customers they likely already have a 24/7 Post Office inside their home or business. He encourages them to skip the trip to the Post Office and ship their packages from the comfort of their home or business at usps.com where this holiday season 75 million customers are expected to print shipping labels at a discount, order free Priority Mail boxes, purchase postage and even request free next-day Package Pickup.
The busiest mailing day of the holidays is expected to be Monday, Dec. 15, when more than 640 million pieces of mail will be processed; compared to 528 million on a typical day. The busiest delivery day for packages is expected to be Thursday, Dec. 18.
“This is truly our season at the Postal Service, it is crunch time,” said Nampa Postmaster Mike Brownfield. “We have stepped up our game to assure America that USPS can be counted on to deliver their cards, gifts and letters in time for the holidays.”
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 Guaranteed
- Dec. 20 – First-Class Mail/Priority Mail (domestic)
- Dec. 23 – Priority Mail Express (domestic)
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm. A complete list of the holiday shipping deadlines can be found at usps.com/holidaynews.
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