Postal and Delivery Innovation in the Digital Economy

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Business Models: Some Implications for USPS

   • Michael A. Crew, Timothy J. Brennan

   Pages 1-15

3. E-commerce and the Return of Unwanted Goods: A Case for Cooperation Among Providers of Postal and Non-postal Parcel Services

   • Ralf Wojtek

   Pages 17-29

4. The Concentration Phenomenon in E-commerce

   • Claire Borsenberger

   Pages 31-41

5. Implications of 3D Printing for the United States Postal Service

   • Samuel T. Cutting, Mark E. Meitzen, Brad P. Wagner, Christopher W. Backley, Charles L. Crum, Bryant Switzky

   Pages 43-54

6. Spam or Ham? Assessing the Value of Direct Mail

   • Henrik B. Okholm, Anna M. Boivie, Signe Rølmer

   Pages 55-64

7. Targeting Versus Saturation: Derived Demand for Direct Mail

   • Michael D. Bradley, Jeff Colvin, Mary K. Perkins

   Pages 65-75

8. Quality and Pricing of Delivery Services in the E-commerce Sector

   • Claire Borsenberger, Helmuth Cremer, Philippe De Donder, Denis Joram

   Pages 77-90

9. A Branching AIDS Model for Estimating U.S. Postal Price Elasticities

   • Lyudmila Y. Bzhilyanskaya, Margaret M. Cigno, Edward S. Pearsall

   Pages 91-113

10. A Demand System Approach to Affordability

    • Gregory Swinand, Hugh Hennessy, Graeme O’Meara

    Pages 115-129

11. Welfare Impact of Changes in the Scope of the USO

    • George Houpis, José María Rodríguez, Christian Strobel

    Pages 131-142

12. Potential Gains and Losses of (Partial) Lifting of Home Delivery Obligations

    • Laurian Choain, Frédéric Fustier, Lionel Janin

    Pages 143-154

13. Estimating the Financial Impact of Discontinuing Saturday Delivery of Letters and Flats in the U.S.

    • Matthew H. Robinson, J. P. Klingenberg, Andreas Haller, Urs Trinkner

    Pages 155-168

14. Regulatory Developments in Post and Telecommunications: A Tale of Two Industries

    • Henrik B. Okholm, Anna Möller, Bruno Basalisco

    Pages 169-181

15. Digital Inclusion: A Role for Postal Operators in a Smart World

    • Caroline Sheedy, Maria Moloney

    Pages 183-194

16. Informational Privacy and Registered Certified Mail: What Do the People Want?

    • Caroline Sheedy, Maria Moloney

    Pages 195-206

17. Advanced Semi-parametric and Parametric Methods to Assess Efficiency in the Postal Sector

    • M. Meschi, M. R. Pierleoni, S. Gori

    Pages 207-217

18. On the Detection of Market and Intangible Benefits Through Consumer Surveys

    • Marcello Cuomo, Tommaso Nardone, Alberto Rovero, Gennaro Scarfiglieri

    Pages 219-231

19. Different Models of Postal Financial Services

    • Silvia Spinazzola, Stefano Gori, Erik Maurice, Simona Romito, Ignazio Vacca

    Pages 233-245

20. When Rapidly Decreasing Mail Volumes Call for More Innovative Social and Economic Approaches

    • Dominique Bailly, Margaux Meidinger

    Pages 247-259

Worldwide, postal and delivery economics is the subject of considerable interest. The postal industry’s business model is in drastic need of change. Notably, the European Commission and member states are still wrestling with the problems of implementing liberalization of entry into postal markets, addressing digital competition, and maintaining the universal service obligation. In the United States, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 has, perhaps, exacerbated some of the problems faced by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Currently, the USPS has serious financial problems because of difficulties it faces in making changes and the failure of the Act to address problems that have been long-standing. Electronic competition is severe and affects post offices (POs) worldwide, which have been slow to address the threat. This book addresses this new reality and includes discussion of how POs may attempt to reinvent themselves. Parcels and packets will play a major role in developing new business models for postal operators. This book is of use not only to students and researchers interested in the field, but also to postal operators, consulting firms, utilities, regulatory commissions, Federal Government Departments and agencies of the European Union and other countries.

• Delivery economics
• Digital competition
• Liberalization
• Postal economics
• USPS
• Universal service obligation

• CRRI Distinguished Professor of Regulatory Economics, Rutgers University, Rutgers Business School, Newark, USA

  Michael A. Crew

• Department of Public Policy, Professor of Public Policy and Economics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, USA

  Timothy J. Brennan

Policies and ethics