COPPERAS COVE, TX – On Thursday, May 21, the U.S. Postal Service will hold a grand opening for a new Village Post Office (VPO), located at Candy Outfitters, 185 West Business 190, Suite 1, Copperas Cove, TX 76522. The grand opening will begin at 11:00 a.m.

Candy Outfitters has entered into a partnership with the Postal Service to provide the most frequently-used products to customers during their regular retail hours. Candy Outfitters is open Monday – Friday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. The new VPO will sell Forever stamps and offer a variety of Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes and envelopes. They will also accept postage-paid letters and packages for free carrier pickup.

The Village Post Office is an exciting new concept for the Postal Service. It was rolled out in 2011 in order to provide customers with additional access to postal services outside the regular retail hours of a local Post Office. Approximately 35 percent of postal revenues come from locations other than brick-and-mortar Post Offices. VPOs can be located in existing retail outlets such as pharmacies and grocery stores, as well as town halls and government centers.

The Postal Service acknowledges the contributions of Candy Outfitters and new Village Post Office owner Jennifer White, who helped make the VPO in Copperas Cove possible.

Business establishments interested in applying for a contract with the Postal Service to start a Village Post Office in their local community should send an inquiry via email to VPO.inquirey@usps.gov or call 888-711-7577.

More information about the Village Post Office initiative is available on www.usps.com at http://about.isps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/expandedaccess/welcome.htm.

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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