1. RETAIL SALES
Retail is the way most Americans buy and use postal products and services. Each day, over seven million Americans visit our Post Offices and contract postal units. The vast majority of these customers perform the very basic functions of buying stamps, mailing packages, and collecting mail from their Post Office boxes. Many more obtain stamps or other Postal Service products by mail, online, through our vending equipment, and through supermarkets and other authorized agents. The primary role of the Retail function is to make it easy for them to do business with us, while making the transactions increasingly productive and profitable for the Postal Service.

This provides local access for the core product applications of correspondence and transaction mailing, domestic and international package shipping, and special services, including delivery through more than 18 million Post Office boxes. Major customer segments are small businesses and consumers (customers using the mail for personal, rather than business reasons). It is estimated that consumers and small firms generate Postal Service retail revenue of $7.4 billion and $8.7 billion, respectively (meters, permits, and corporate accounts not included).

A comprehensive retail awareness program informing customers that postal services are closer than they may realize is in effect. Customers can access our services through our traditional Post Offices, stations and branches as well as through alternatives such as contract postal units, vending, on-line services, and consignment locations.